Taking my Spiritual Temperature

"And it shall be, 

when he is guilty of any of these matters, 

that he shall confess

that he has sinned in that thing"

Leviticus 5:5

A few weeks ago, after the bombing at the Boston Marathon, my TV-viewing habits underwent a significant, if short-lived change.  I'm not really a news watcher, but the event was evolving at such a rapid pace, I felt compelled to have the TV on for a lot of that week.  It wasn't until Friday evening, when the second bomber was captured by the police, that my news watching returned to its state of "once a day catch up with the headlines".

While I don't really watch the news, I do like to stay current on politics.  Almost every day I watch an hour-long show that updates me on what's happening in Washington.  And I made a funny observation the other day while I was watching that program.

The commercials during that hour seem to be aimed at someone a generation older than I am.  There are a myriad of ads for services and products aimed at senior citizens.  And a lot of it means nothing to me.  Conditions and syndromes, reverse-mortgages and medical insurance "that can't be cancelled because of your age".

But the medical stuff, specifically, got me to thinking. I started to wonder how many of these will pertain to me when I'm older.  And in that way, I think too much information is a bad thing.  I might be perfectly happy until some commercial starts pointing things out to me.  "Have you fallen in the past six months?"   "Have you had had tingling in your fingers or toes?"   "Well, have you??"

And I think this is probably how some hypochondriacs get their start.  The power of suggestion, and a susceptible mind.  Which is a pity, because some people might be happier if they never knew they had anything to be unhappy about.

What I think we could do with, though, is a bit of spiritual hypochondria.  Well, not so much hypochondria, as an awareness.   I mean, if there were commercials asking me, "Have you gossiped in the past six months?  Have you doubted?  Have you been selfish or judgemental?",  they just might cause me to think, "hmm..... Actually, now that you mention it...."

We somehow love to "brag" about our medical woes, comparing afflictions and wanting to top each other.  Just listen to any group of women discussing their experience with childbirth.   But we tend to be in denial about our spiritual weaknesses.  Even to ourselves. 

All the more reason to see the Great Physician, for a spiritual check-up!

~ "He said to them, 'Those who are well 

have no need of a physician, 

but those who are sick.

I did not come to call the righteous, 

 but sinners, to repentance.' "

Mark 2:17

~