Who and Where We Are
Fast forward to now. In many respects, we are the most aware creatures on the planet. We are on top of the food chain, masters of symbols and technology, and lords of our destiny. We can reflect on the mysteries of the universe, the meaning of life, and on who or what we really are. Besides being the most self-aware, we also have the most freedom of choice. Yet we can be the most blundering, cruel, shortsighted, and unconscious of all creatures. We treat others as objects, and many have lost touch with our unifying Ground of Being. A pathological financial system that rules much of the planet exploits almost everyone and plays Russian roulette with our life-supporting environment. With four billion years of evolution behind us, it would be tragic if we allowed it to destroy us.

Possibilities
We can draw some conclusions from all of this. First, choice (or free will) is the result of biological progress. Second, choice equals freedom. We can take this a step further and say that freedom is a spiritual quality. This implies that the biological evolution of consciousness is a planetary process through which spiritual evolution unfolds. In short, form becomes progressively sensitized and "wired" to higher frequencies of reality. This gives it the potential of being more self-aware, and with self-awareness comes choice. Choice allows us to live by materialistic or spiritual principles. And as we live more by the spiritual, we become even more sensitized. This applies to individuals as well as to entire species. Perhaps the goal of creation is to have some material aspect of itself become totally self-aware.

Conclusion
If humans are the spearhead of evolution on this planet (both biologically and spiritually), then our form and consciousness must go through more changes. It's doubtful that we've reached our potential. As form and consciousness appear linked, we can expect our bodies, minds, and emotions to become more refined. For this to happen, we must first preserve life by protecting our eco-system and by practicing cooperation and tolerance. If this occurs, then we may eventually embody the reality that science and mystics already know: that we are all one. Everyone we meet is a manifestation of the same source as ourselves. If we know this at the heart level and can act on our spiritual instincts incessantly, then we have fulfilled our potential: to experience creation as God's way of knowing Itself.