Are We Senseless?

Are We Senseless?

April 27, 2009
By Shyla Salmon

I have a confession to make: I am a crier.

When I was little I used to cry over everything. If I got in trouble and my mother even slightly raised her voice, I'd cry. Just the thought of a spanking could send the river of tears flowing for hours. My mother would ask me why I was crying, and, of course, I could never articulate it through the writhing sobs. My sensitivity throughout public and high school became a burden. I learned quickly that it is not cool.

Sensitive people are annoying; they are fragile. No one wants to have a sensitive friend. Our mothers told us not to “cry over spilt milk.” Sensitivity in our culture is a sign of weakness, of insecurity. We are living in a de-sensitized world, not bothered by violence, by crime, by third world countries tattered and torn by war. We are not bothered by sexual promiscuity or perversion. We are taught to be cool, calm and collected. Society says:

Don't crack under pressure
Keep your face straight
Be strong, climb the ladder and never shudder when you have to stomp over the heads of others to get to the top
For heaven's sake do not let that bottom lip quiver.

Our culture says:

Man-up and win
Eat or be eaten
Every man for himself.

In our world, sensitivity is weakness, and senselessness is strength. So I have learned like many others to be insensitive, and now I am un-learning this, with God as my teacher.

Just like this has infected me personally, this dangerous mentality of desensitization has unfortunately crept into the church. I believe it is the enemy's desire to keep the body of Christ desensitized. Because when we are not sensitive, we are apathetic. Insensitivity breeds selfishness, greed and laziness. Thus, the insensitive church should be drastically feared and avoided, because it is not a church. It is an empty institution.

Sensitivity, put simply, is heightened awareness. Physically, when the body is wounded, the area that is affected is prone to higher sensitivity. The smallest touch can trigger an immense amount of pain and discomfort, because the area's awareness is heightened. This is true in both the physical and emotional sense. When our sensitivity as Christians is heightened, we are able to sense things spiritually that we would otherwise be unable to detect. We pray for God to “speak to us.” We ask Him to “reveal things to us.” We want Him to “use us.”

Yet, the opportunities are around us, but we cannot even see the harvest because our hearts are hardened. We must see the needs of our neighbours, hear the voice of the Lord, feel the hurt of the world, and taste the goodness of God in our lives--our everyday lives. As an extension of this, our churches will explode with manifestations of the power of God transforming lives, homes and cities. No longer will we attend church, participate half-heartedly and socialize with the same 50-or-so people we see every week while numb to the purpose and the mission. When we are sensitive, we are drawing closer to Christ. Sensitivity makes us like Him, for He is sensitive.

Of course, like many things required of us, a lifestyle of sensitivity is neither easy nor comfortable. Just like a wound to the physical body is uncomfortable and often painful, this life of hyper-awareness will be just that. We as a church need to pray for brokenness. Only when we are broken will we hurt for what the Lord hurts for and feel what He feels. We must allow the Lord to tear us down, until He is all that can be seen, and this process is a difficult one.

To know Him is to suffer like Him. Paul said in Philippians 3:10: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (KJV). When our hearts are softened and we are painfully made aware of the needs of those around us, we will not be complacent; we will be driven by passion and compassion to meet those needs. I am learning that being comfortable is rarely part of being a Christian.

Yes, living a sensitive life is hard because no longer will we be able to stroll down the grocery store aisle without seeing the single mother that works tirelessly to feed her children. We will not be able to watch the news and hear about hungry children in third world countries and simply live the same life we've always lived. We will not be able to go to church on Sunday, sing songs, nod at the preacher and head out. Living a sensitive life means you'll be aware, your heart will be tender, and your vision will be heightened. You will be aware of what God is aware of and you will have to do something about it.

So, here's the question: Are you sensitive?

ninetyandnine.com

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Shyla Salmon is a freshman at Gateway College of Evangelism. She enjoys the combination of tea and conversation with Ann Ahrens. Though Shyla is admittedly a music junkie, she is not particularly fond of Ann's torturously difficult musicianship class.