Lies

Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel, Allenport PA (first heard the gospel here)

Now to quote a Christian thinker Dr. Ed Smith, a Baptist Minister, referring to wounds and healing, “To facilitate emotional renewal, we need to identify the three basic elements in the renewal process: (1) the present emotional pain, (2) the original memory container and (3) the original lie(s) implanted in the memory container.”

What is he saying? Apparently a wound sticks in a memory container and in that container are lies? What kind of lies? Can I conjecture? On the one hand, raw barbaric self lies, or contrarily, socially acceptable fig-leaf cover-up lies, take your pick. These two, emerging out of a man’s heart, both poise to interpret a devastating slam, when it occurs. (The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.) Psalm 58:3

So, on one side, emotions of anger, reaction, retaliation; a desire to kill or maim, perhaps surface at the wounding scene? On the same side, perchance, we find guilt, shame, embarrassment or maybe fear? On the opposite side, a mechanism of restraint might take over; a hiding of the emotions, a repressing of the conscience, a saving-of-face jumps out, and rides roughshod over the psyche.

To make matters worse, we find cultural norms, taboos, upbringing, and education all contributing to, supporting, or creating impetus toward the unique variation of one’s lying-heart interpreting. Never forget, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it? What the heart contrives in trauma’s timing, is an arrogant guess/suggestion with the support of outward authority, but who can know the hearts of these suggesters?

Lets regroup: a person’s individuality, coupled with these outsiders, causes them to create their very own version of an alter-ego/wound? Yes, the present emotional pain stands real and continues. This inventing, however, can really bend culturally, as the same kinds of “wounding events” are perceived differently from place to place.

Let’s think of an example. In a recent article I read about what a person may experience in a certain foreign city. Not to be slanderous, but I read where there seems to be almost a pride in this culture about its incivility. I was warned to expect some insulting happenings there, if visiting.

So, my guess goes this way: the locals, so desensitized by the frequent occurrence of such activity, are not affected as the tourists, when dis-courteousness occurs. Why? They learned the negative-stuff-interpreting in a different way. They acclimated themselves to it, and it offends them on bad days only. On the contrary, a tourist may interpret things deeper and very negatively.

A battered person, stricken often perhaps, interprets the new with the already dominating wound of the past. These may seem to not get so messed up with the new blast, but it is because their already-messed-up is so deep, It has created a wounded identity. The present pounding is interpreted only relevant to the original.

Regardless of case or scenario, all experiencing trauma/wounding have this in common: a defective dissociation from reality. This “reality” disconnection separates from natural reality,(sight-based reality), the common reality to all, but certainly departs also God’s eternal reality,(unseen and faith-based), which heals when touched. Do you see where I am going?

True healing uproots the old interpreters by giving us a new set in the conscience, built on God’s all-interpreting Word of His grace. Can you see that nothing less will do? God changes the interpreters to heal us, and the sub-structure to re-gird us.

See, if we examine wound containers, we find behind the strong and ranting emotions; words, yes words. These may hide and become forgotten, but really comprise the problem, since emotions can’t think on their own. The swear, the reactionary thought, and the very rational and logically concluded determination like ”that SOB never even looked before he pulled out”, all record, and fill up that memory container.

What I need is a brand new heart with new thoughts. I need an alteration at the gene level; not desperately wicked, but decidedly pure. And this, God gives an individual when that party comes to Him. Thank you Jesus!

Concluding, it heals nothing to return back and visit the impairing event of age 6 or 13. This can reinforce the wound. It was not just the trauma of the incident that caused the wound but my perception of what happened participated, and openly formed a picture. That photograph remains long after sensitization leaves, and defines that infection till healed. So, unless my naive capability for interpretation cuts itself off, lies will flourish, and healing and release will never occur.

Finally, It must be said here that the acts which wound a person or society are to be looked at and treated with utter disdain, and never should we justify or water them down. However, I hope you can see by now that healing is the goal. Unfortunately in order for this to happen the self-imposed aspect of the wounding process also must be exposed and this risks appearing unsympathetic.

We glance, then gaze at the wondrous cross, once a day, then twice a day etc.etc. We can now take the wounding event and recreate with our new interpreters, beginning with “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” The new, experiences the God-enabled wiping away of the past supported by The Holy Spirit’s blood-applying ability. I just choose for the eternal realm with Word of God-interpreters day by day, moment by moment.  Amen