Alfred North Whitehead Grades of existential reality and my reality and spirituality based on it.
1. Grade 1 - Physics- Natural forces i.e. gravity, electromagnetic fields, wind, water, erosion et. All responding to each other whether a human wills them to stop or not.
2. Grade 2 - Rocks, dirt, Mountains, inanimate objects on which physics acts.
3. Grade 3 is living beings me, you, my dog, etc. We are temporal - with a beginning date and an expiration date and we live in the NOW moment.
4. Grade 4 / We are human beings and of a different order by ability to think, write, speak. and we live this existential, now moment.
Physics act upon us too. For instance gravity holds us to the earth or wind can knock up down. Grades 1,2,3 do not "know" or "conceptualize." We, Grade 4 beings, feel, think, prayer, relate, etc and through those functions we influence, direct, or experience this moment.
5. The Bible Exegetical/Faith/Relational/Spiritual is Grade 5. All humans share and exist in this Grade 5 reality. For me, the proof of the Bible and its authority over is the transcendent love of God. It is a part of our lives and beyond our lives because God is a love beyond all human love in whom we have our hope.
As God transcends this world it means that God is here and beyond. God was most clearly seen in this world in Jesus Christ. God loves us and in Jesus God showed how much God loves us.
God also commanded we love (not suggested). Love especially self sacrificing love as shown by Jesus is the greatest sign of fulfilling God's love command.