Things That Make My Brain Hurt

 There are some things that make my brain hurt. Things like cell phones that allow one to connect with someone thousands of miles away ~ entire conversations that fly through time and space and land exactly where they’re supposed to, without a nano-second delay. Things like Wi-Fi that allow one to access the internet without even being plugged into a cable.

Yesterday a message popped up on my laptop that told me it was time to renew my virus protection program, and would I like to just click the little button and update it right then and there? My first impulse was to go out and buy the disc and install it because I wanted something concrete to do the work for me. I wanted a back-up. But I didn’t really feel like running out to the store, so I compromised. Not entirely trusting the WiFi airwaves for such an important task, because it makes my brain hurt you know, I went upstairs and plugged my computer in to the internet cable, before giving them my credit card number and pushing “okay.” It worked, but it still makes my brain hurt.

I find it interesting that I have such trust in other matters ~ matters of faith, for instance ~ even though I don’t understand how all that works either. I don’t check my brain at the door of worship, or a hospital room when I go to visit someone and pray, or at the graveside of one who has died. I don’t need the concrete cable in place to assure me that there is a direct connection between heaven and earth. And even though I’ve never had the opportunity to shake Jesus’ hand or give him a hug, I’m clear that as the living Christ he’s my direct cable to God. It doesn’t make my brain hurt, but it does cause my heart and soul to swell with gratitude to God.

It’s the same with prayer. Prayers go silently out over the air waves, but I have no doubt (well, most of the time no doubt), that they land and that they make a difference.

If you’re not quite sure about all of this, though, ~or even if you are~ church can be a good cable… so think about joining us at St. Mark’s where we honor Tradition, Scripture, Reason and Experience, all mixed up together in a delicious offering and reception.