First things first: Go to THIS ARTICLE at the Forthright Magazine site, and read. Not a long read. But a good meaty one! Based upon Jeremiah 6:15 (“‘Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush,’ says the Lord.”), A Lost Art is an eye-opener about how the things all around us in the world affect and form our outlook, and wear down our resistance to sin. And speaking of the sin that surrounds us…
Second: I am becoming obsessed with bovine hoof-trimming videos (The Hoof GP, TEC TV, Midwestern Hoof Trimmer, Nate The Hoof Guy, etc). There is one recurring theme among all of the problem hooves: the cure involves trimming away “overburdening horn” around lesions or other vulnerable areas. These pieces of horn can not only be sharp and irritating, but also will trap “slurry” – poop and mud – under them and against the open sores which prevents healing and foot health.
What does this have to do with spirituality you might ask? Well…last night, when I discovered what Snapchat was up to, I got a clear picture of the sin around us and in our lives, the little things that we allow to touch us that seem harmless. But these are the things that act as “overburdening horn” against our vulnerable hearts, not only scratching and causing further openings in the delicate tissue, but trapping the sin slurry of the world against them. How can we heal from the effects of sin in our hearts so that we can become more like Jesus when we allow overburdening horn to keep it packed around our hearts? It is the sharp bits of this horn in the world that we need to be diligent about cutting away continually, to protect our hearts from the sin that controls the world and allows us to become spiritually healthy.
Such an analogy, eh? But since I’m not smart enough to think of it, I’m pretty sure God gave me that AHA! moment!
And finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the MEMES! Actually this collection is along the same topic lines as this post: sin, avoiding sin, living for Jesus in a sinful world, and similar. I hope by reading today’s post you have, at the very least, food for thought…and, at most, support and encouragement for your own walk through a world that continually tries to overburden your heart.
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