Numb to Numb

Walter Brueggemann says "the job of the prophet is to free people from their numbness." On a Friday night I can relate to the state of being a little numb. Between the effects of a long work week on my stamina and the effects of a stronger than expected margarita on my thought processes - it would take the words of a fiery prophet to shed the level of comfort brought on by deadened sensitivities. Medicine uses the power of anesthesia to allow critical, but often painful, procedures to be done giving the patients a degree of temporary freedom of awareness and feeling, and allowing the physician to proceed with the liberty of taking corrective measures knowing the patient can remain calm and still. Even when a decision is made not to use any medication, as in natural childbirth, techniques are taught to alter the mind's reaction to pain through concentration, controlled breathing, and focal points. A problem arises when people choose to remain in a fog of unreality and escapism; dull to their own problems and insensitive to their neighbors.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We find so many ways to numb our response to your call of justice. We learn to glance over the poor, detour from uncomfortable truths, muffle cries for mercy, and insulate from the global community. We are comfortable in our isolation. Let us be a congregation awakened from a state of lethargy and coldness. Dull our instincts of selfishness and hone our attentiveness to others. Deaden our idleness and revive our energies to mission. Mute our distractions and speak directly to our hearts, creating a focal point that we can constantly use as an inner compass, steering us towards a reality of faith, hope and love. Let us fully experience the sorrow of loss, the disappointment of failed actions, and the hardened awareness of our own prideful shortcomings. It is through these painful extractions that we may come to realize that we cannot rely on our own resources of temporary numbness and avoidance to try to create peace, but we must surrender our will to yours for the greatest salvation. Let us fully experience your shalom. Amen.