Would you like to have a memory chip implanted in
your brain giving you perfect recall?
Or would connect your brain directly to the Internet? Scientists say brain implants may be as common as laser eye surgery in 10 years. Neuroprosthetics will become part of us, enhancing performance, changing
how we perceive the world, and opening up
possibilities heretofore unimaginable.
I
couldn’t help but see the spiritual analogy. You and I already have an implant—the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:15). And although we ‘have’ His mind, we are responsible for employing it: “let the mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus”
(Phil 2:15). That is, think as Jesus does, with “your mind on
things above, where He is” (Col. 3:2). Just like those neuroprosthetics, the
mind of Christ becomes part of us, changing the way we perceive the
world, doing things heretofore thought unimaginable (1
Cor. 2:9).
With 21 post-graduate units in theology and a semester of teaching in college, I am acutely aware of the dangers of what-is-called “higher education.”
Several times in the Scriptures, the Lord mentions the fact that an abundance of or excessive reliance upon worldly education can actually be a hindrance to entering into the Kingdom. The beginning words of the Lord’s teaching on the Mount began with the blessing on “the poor in spirit.” According to Strong’s Concordance this phrase means “destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which education affords.” God said He would destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to naught the intelligence of the intelligent (1 Cor. 1:19).
Please do not misinterpret my comments as “anti-intellectualism.” The mind is an essential part in faith: Paul says we are to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). And Jesus told us to love God "with all our mind” (Matt. 22:37). The challenge to each of us is to be a diligent student of the Word (2 Tim. 2:15) so we may attain a truly "higher" education.
The phrase right winger is a belittling term for political conservatives that seems to be interchangeable with born-again Christians. An editorial in this morning’s paper captures the essence of this anti-Christian sentiment: “right wing denial of evolution is a disastrous embrace of ignorance and superstition in the face of fact-based science.” Surprisingly, "evolution" has surfaced in this year’s presidential debates. The other day, I came across a blog posting titled, “Born Again Christians Have Smaller Brains.” It was a satire on creationist Christians' inability to comprehend college level science.
Well, quite frankly, maybe we do have smaller brains. Maybe as the human spirit takes on its greater capacity for comprehending the things of God, things that are hidden from the world’s brainiest, a part of our brain atrophies. Maybe that part of the brain that makes men proud and boastful actually shrinks. Maybe that part of the brain that Paul calls “foolish wisdom” recedes.
Paul calls the wisdom of this world “foolishness.” “God has revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets… But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it… But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 1-2). Isn't that better than a big brain!?
A new study of more than 130,000 ‘gamers’ suggests that playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts and behavior and decreases empathy. They also concluded that any game that involves killing or harming another character in order to advance is likely to be teaching inappropriate lessons to whoever is playing it. Tragically, in real life, some of these gamers have lost touch with reality, taking their gaming to the streets, schools, and malls, where they have proven that such games have driven them mad—they are “out of their minds.”
What an unfortunate picture of the worst that can happen to those whose minds are poisoned by the ‘father of lies’ (Jn. 8:44). Like gamers watching hours of evil video games, our minds become conformed to, even poisoned by, the world’s way of thinking. Paradoxically, in order to have our thinking transformed (Ro. 12:2); we must get “out of our minds.” What I mean is we must get outside of the mindset of the world’s way of thinking, and let the Word of God renew us in the deepest part of our minds (Eph. 4:23).
And of course whenever you attempt to think the way God does, the world will look at you and say, "Are you out of your mind?" But remember this: because “you have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), it is possible to think like Him. But to do so, you will have to get “out of your mind.”One final thought: You are probably not a gamer, but if you have not stopped to think how TV, movies, books, newspapers, internet news, and radio are adversely affecting you, you must be out of your mind!
