Callus…
Calluses are funny things. They protect us from harm (blister, stickers, etc.), but they also desensitize and impede feeling. So the protection comes at a cost. Sometimes they are so effective that we may be over working our feet, or even be walking in a dangerous place and not even realize. We build up calluses by years of constant use, and the skin thickens where the most friction occurs. I used to get them from combat boots. When I realized that I had them I was concerned because I could not feel anything under them. All in all, however, calluses on the foot have more positives than negatives. The callus’ that concern me now are the callus’ that build up in places where they were never meant to be, like the heart and spirit. It seems that in the Churches of Christ we have been on the defensive for so long that we have become numb to almost everything, aside from our own wants and desires. We chalk up the struggles of others to their own shortcomings and inefficiencies. “You are not very outgoing, and are a person of few words, so I avoided talking to you.” Can you picture an elder saying that to someone in the church??? I can, I witnessed it. He needed to explain why his relationship with that person had dried up over the last few months, so he placed the blame on the other person. There is a callousness there that, I will give him the benefit of the doubt, kept him from realizing that relationships require more time to grow for some people. When this particular one started out side of his scope of reference he put up the walls and took the defensive. But that is not his fault, he has been conditioned to that response by decades of indoctrination into the Church of Christ’s own form of isolationism. Two truths: nothing last forever, and (I learned this from physics) the more pressure, the bigger the explosion. So what will happen to the Churches of Christ? As shown the calluses exist, and they impede feeling and understanding in the physical realm, I won’t even go into my thoughts and observances in regard to these callus’ and spiritual world. At some point the overdue change in the system will happen, and the calluses and dogma and legalism that have been reinforced over the years to prevent the change will no longer be able to withstand the pressure. And once the smoke clears there will be nothing left but shrapnel of what was at one time a vibrant religious community. I hope I am ready to help when it happens. I hope that my calluses have been removed by the time that happens so that I can feel their pain and confusion, and will be willing to offer my love and support, especially to those who did not and would not do the same for me.
Posted by
at
20:02:16
Excellent post.
Forgiven1
Thank you for your wakeup call. We must tear down barriers and let the Holy Spirit soften the calluses on our hearts. We are not heroes for being there to pick up afterwards; we are courageous when we do what must be done today.
We are going to get callouses in this world. Unfortunately, most of mine have come from my experiences with church people (“leadership” especially). I have come to the definite conclusion that any activity that gives one callouses before he gets out of the house and to the job site are activities that should be avoided. Life is hard enough without religious “leaders” and legalistic cohorts clogging up the pores. Like my cousin said about selling life insurance, “Get Out! It’s not worth it!” God Bless, Yoda
your writing is very incisive, I like it .