Insulation

I have been thinking about this word for sometime now. I decided to look up the definition and this is what dictionary.com said...

1. To cause to be in a detached or isolated position. See Synonyms at isolate.
2. To prevent the passage of heat, electricity, or sound into or out of, especially by surrounding with a nonconducting material.

Just in this alone, I found a few things to be very interesting. I will elaborate shortly.

As I grow to gain a wider perspective, knowledge, and understanding about other parts of the world, I can not ignore them. Other parts being less privileged places that is. I only discovered a few months ago that there was even a genocide occurring in Darfur. I have been insulated. Granted I feel like the only person who didn't know about this situation, but none the less it has had me thinking.

I think that being an American alone puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to this idea of insulation. We are a society of convenience. A microwave society of TV dinners. There are great things about this county, and I also am very thankful that this is my native land. However, I cannot help but to also notice the subtle disadvantages that aren't as easy to spot as say living in a third World County that is rampant with social injustice, war, aids, starvation, and a host of other ungodly horrors. I had a conversation with my pastor’s wife after she got back from her trip to Africa. I remember very distinctly her making the comment, "We just don't get it here." I have to say that I agree.

The American dream: You want it, you can have it! You can start from nothing and go to something. Who wouldn't be intrigued by such promises? I fall for them almost everyday. I can tell you what things insulate me. My car, its leather seats and turbo engine that I can hop into at any given moment and go just about anywhere I please. If it’s hot, I can keep the windows rolled up and crank up the air conditioning. Cold? Not a sweat. Crank up the heat and before long I can have a sauna if I so desire. Being at home is the same way.

Or how about my job? I sit at a desk with a nice comfy chair with about a million ways to adjust it to find my perfect comfortable sitting position. Climate control. My point is, if I am going to be physically uncomfortable, I pretty much have to choose to be uncomfortable because otherwise, I have everything at my disposable.

I'm not saying there aren't struggles living here in America. They are more subtle to be sure. One of my favorite musical artists, Derek Webb, said he believes America's wealth will either be its greatest blessing or greatest judgment. I would have to say I agree with him. A verse that comes to mind is Luke 12: 47-48

"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

I feel as though the Lord has been peeling off the layers from my blinded eyes to the disparity that exists in this world. It used to frighten me because I used to fear He would send me to one of those places where there is unrest and murdering Christians is common. He has eased some of that fear mainly because my heart is broken at the knowledge of what suffering exists and how much of it is needless. My compassion and desire to aid has overgrown my fear of loosing. Whether it is loosing my life or my comfortable bubble, He has been ever so gentle with me. As I meditate on this verse, it almost hits me like a ton of bricks. Every time I drive past a homeless man on the street and don't stop because I'm on my way to work or because I have no cash, am I ignoring what the master wants? If I read this verse, it leads me to think so. It's challenging.

The more I grow in Christ and the more understanding given by the Holy Spirit increases my responsibility. I read through my journal last night. It went back a little over a year, and I was surprised because so much of my hearts cry in those entries are the same cries I have now. I thought to myself there must be something I need to investigate. There is something I'm not getting or have not yielded to yet. And I still don't know exactly what or why, but I keep thinking about how I am stewarding what God has given me. I so often go to the Lord in prayer and beg for Him to grow me, teach me, lead me, and He has and I know He will, but I think I go before His Holy throne not fully understanding what I'm asking for. Great gifts mean great responsibilities. Maybe I'm not ready for greater gifts than what He has already given me. And how many times a day do I insolently do whatever I please??

My last thought on the idea of insulation was simply this... If you take this idea and bring it to a more personal level and you look at the second definition of this word, you have a second condition.

To prevent the passage of heat, electricity, or sound into or out of, especially by surrounding with a nonconducting material.

Replace heat, electricity, and sound and I believe you have the root of this issue. How many times have I surrounded, whether it be my mind or my heart, with nonconducting material to prevent the passage of thoughts, feelings, truth, hurts, or whatever from entering or exiting? I am just an odd person. I can meet someone I barely know ( like when I first met my friend Briana) and spill my whole life story including emabrrassing sins and other vulnerable information about myself. However, because I am prideful and arrogant and insecure, I can throw up walls with people in a nano second that are 10 ft thick and concrete. Feeling insecure and arrogant? OK I'll just surround myself with nonconducting material and withhold encouragement from someone. Or am I feeling lonely and hurt? Sure, I'll be cold and distant so that any love you may have to soften or warm my broken spirit will never have a chance to penetrate. I wonder how often I have done and do this with Christ. How many times has he wanted to embrace me with unconditional love and acceptance and forgiveness but because I have chosen to insulate myself, I miss out on amazing blessings. Insulation can serve its purposes in healthy ways but more often than not it becomes the death of relationship. It disrupts the natural and vulnerable flow of connection between human beings.

At least this is how I perceive this idea in ways it has played itself out in my life. I am interested to know others perspectives on this word as well.