SPIRITUAL DEMENTIA

John Swinton, Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care in the University of Aberdeen, in his book on Dementia writes,

The problem of forgetfulness is not confined to the individual with dementia. The experience of dementia brings to the fore a broader amnesia that has befallen the world which has caused it to forget where and what it is: creation. When the world forgets its Creator, we begin to think that we are the creators; we begin to believe that we are self-creating beings whose task is to shape the world into our own image.” (Dementia: Living in the Memories of God, p.164)

We live in a secular culture where the prevailing condition is amnesia about God, amnesia about our dependency upon God, and amnesia about our need for salvation. Current movies and novels about human conflict, drama, and romance portray life without any reference to God or faith. We are reverting to a pagan culture which St. Paul described in terms of “futility of thinking, darkened in understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” (Eph.4:17-19) It is a kind of dementia, a corruption of the mind, the inability to remember who we are and from whence we have come. It is one thing to have physical dementia, it is another to have spiritual dementia¸ the inability to know one’s own spiritual identity.

Futility of thinking is a description of meaninglessness, a feeling of uselessness, a sense of worthlessness, and an experience of emptiness. It is what Ecclesiastes 1:2,8 expresses: “Everything is meaningless…All things are wearisome.” The conclusion of atheistic philosophy, which reduces all truth to scientific description, is that we are mere biological machines with no freedom to choose and no future to hope for beyond death. Life is therefore futile. People have only utilitarian value, and can be treated as expendable. Therefore self-indulgence is the only way to enjoy what time you have on earth. That is why atheism and indifference to God is so dangerous to human value and dignity.

Our society ignores the age-old question of the meaning of life. We busy ourselves and entertain ourselves so we do not have to think. Diversions such as drugs, alcohol, entertainment and work keep us from reflecting on life. But as wonderful as it is, life is short, painful, and – viewed from a human perspective – without much significance. If we are merely the accidental result of a ‘big bang,’ human existence is a cruel, cosmic joke, and no reason exists for ethical behavior. As one person put it, ‘You get sick and you die, so you have to keep busy.’ What would it matter if we did not exist? Humans are like grass in the desert, here today and gone tomorrow (Isaiah 40:6-8). The writer of Ecclesiastes is right, life is meaningless. Without God in the picture, nothing on this earth can comfort us if we analyze it seriously….. Pascal describes a human as a reed, but a thinking reed, all of whose dignity is in thought. The mind is the important element, but all dignity is lost when thought omits God and centers on self. Without God the mind is crosswired and without aim. Its energies go in the wrong direction…Ephesians 4:19 could have been written this morning as a telling commentary on us. We give ourselves to trivialities and diversions. Our minds are given to sports, movies and sitcoms to avoid thought. (Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, p.237f.)

To recover from amnesia requires relearning your identity. Kim and Krickett Carpenter in their memoir, THE VOW, which was turned into a movie of the same name starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, recount the story of the car crash, ten weeks after their wedding, which robbed Krickett of any memory of their relationship. Kim had to court her again, through many misunderstandings, so that they could get married again. He had to patiently create new memories for her. We have to be tutored in our history. You need someone to help you connect the memories, the dots in your lives, to identify your relationships and to recover your skills. This is what Jesus came to do for you and for the whole human race. “Surely you heard of him and were taught in him is accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; and to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph.4:21-24) “Take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (vv.23,24. The Message)

Rather than trying to change the externals of life, by trying to become a better person, which is the way of moralism and legalism, the route of self-improvement and self-will, Christianity reveals that Christ has to make us new inside, in the attitude of our minds. Christ has to renew us from the inside, in our spirit, and transform us from the inside out. It is not a matter of trying to do better but of allowing Christ to reproduce his character through us. If we do this then our behavior, our actions, our motivations will be changed. We are being taught by Jesus through his Spirit how to think and how to behave. He teaches us about our speech, about our emotions, about our possessions, about our work, and about our relationships. We are to put on the character of God: kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. We are to be imitators of God.

This, of course, is a lifelong process, which we call sanctification: being created “to be like God in righteousness and holiness.” It is a daily process of seeking to be indwelt by Christ and to be filled with the Spirit so that we may have the power to put off the old self and to put on the new self. We have to deal with anger, with being productive rather than being lazy, to be a giver rather than a taker, to be a contributor rather than a consumer, to be affirming rather than critical of others. This is a continual challenge to our self-centeredness. Often we will fail and fall back into old patterns of behavior and reactions. But we learn from them how to proceed in the future. We learn from our weaknesses and our need for forgiveness.

Christianity is about a relationship with God and with one another. So nurture those relationships. Don’t do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. “Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.” (v.30 The Message) You can learn to love others from how God relates to you by looking at the example of Jesus. See how Christ loved you by suffering and dying in your place, to give all he had for you and your salvation. So live out his kindness and compassion to one another, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Kindness and compassion! Two of the biggest words in the Bible. Two of the biggest challenges to our human nature. They go against the culture of the world. They are polar opposites to the hardening of hearts and insensitivity of the selfcentered. When we forget who we are, when we have amnesia about God and our dependency upon God, and our need of salvation, we lose kindness and compassion, our value and dignity. When Jesus comes into our lives we experience the kindness and compassion of God, and he can reproduce his character through us. We become capable of kindness and compassion to one another.