Undergoing Maintenance
Some of you may have noticed that last week this site underwent some maintenance, as there were a few small glitches that I wanted to sort out. Maybe you also noticed that I was a little too obsessed in trying to sort out these glitches (just call me Mr. Monk) and so I apologize for any downtime, delays, or problems my obsession may have caused. I will say this though, my OCD (obsessive computer disorder) has paid off as most of the issues have now been sorted. The rest I’ll just have to live with… until I can figure them out! 
Thinking about this through our lens of faith: It’s not only computers, websites, cars, and houses, et al, that need maintenance; humans also need to undergo maintenance from time to time. All of us will, at some point, develop physical, and possibly mental problems that will need to be looked at and if possible sorted out. Looking at this a little deeper, all of us will also develop spiritual problems, whether we know it or not.
Over the years people, situations, problems, and disorders, might try and choke the life out of us and as a result we may crash and burn, leaving us in a place where we need to be built back up again. Sometimes we do things that defy logic, stupid stuff that no-one understands; things like adultery, binge drinking, lying, stealing, etc. What about our thirst for knowledge and the endless quest to seek out purpose and meaning in life? And what about God, truth, life, death, and beyond?
When we find ourselves in need of spiritual maintenance where do we go? Hopefully we go to the spiritual maintenance professional!
Talking to friend the other week, he was somewhat frustrated by some peoples inability to realize that a professional can save them time and money. He’s a computer expert who can’t understand why people attempt to fix computer problems themselves, stating that “Most of the time they make the problems ten times worse!” He went on to say that when people need dental work they don’t try doing themselves, so why mess with something they also know nothing about.
Again, looking through our lens of faith, we are sometimes guilty of this same “self meddling” in that when we need maintenance, we try and fix ourselves through things like psychiatry, new age spirituality, false religion, and the like. And often when we try and fix our own spiritual problems we eventually have to tell ourselves, well, that didn’t work out too well… maybe I need to seek out a professional.
It makes sense that if we have a hardware problem with a computer we take it back to the person who built it, as they will probably have the knowledge and tools to get things fixed. Well, God created you and me and as the Psalmist revealingly declared, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14
I once bought a top-of-the-line VCR and after about 2 weeks it stopped working. I opened up the VCR and for about 3 hours I fiddled with its inner parts, until in sheer frustration I took it back to the store I bought it from. The store technician opened it up and after looking at the VCR’s innards for about 2 seconds he reached in and pushed something back into place, after which he plugged it in and voilà, it worked. It was that easy… to someone who knew what they were doing.
So, the next time we need a little TLC maybe we should go to spiritual professional, the one who asks us, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
November, 2008
Picture by Yarik Mission
