Melting in the heat wave. I love how meteorologists have figured out a new way to express how really hot it is outside. They call it a heat index. It is some type of formula where the actual air temp, and the relative humidity are calculated together to reveal the precise effect, heat-wise, on your body. So although the air temp here today was only 96 F, the heat index said that the combined effect of the heat and humidity equalled 111 F.
The heat index has an opposite counterpart for the winter time which gives a rough approximate value called wind chill. It is air temp plus the effect of air movement, with the end result being once again, an evaluation of the precise effect cold-wise, on your body.
Clearly I have few skills as a meteorologist and little future in this business based on how challenged I am at explaining such simple effects. But while the weather is fascinating and relevant to our daily existence, I am more interested in the heat-index and wind-chill of my spiritual life.
I am appalled at how hot and/or cold my spiritual life can run, even in the same day! But more interesting than that, is that the apparent temp of my spiritual life and the actual heat-index or wind-chill of my spiritual life, while it is not visible on a thermometer, represents the actual effect of my spiritual experience.
Now to find a consistent way to grade that spiritual heat-index or wind-chill, and moreover, a way to pump the heat up up up. Unfortunately corporate or professional christianity seems to have an air-conditioning effect on me, I can’t really speak for you. While in the comfortable dry coolness of a modified temp environment, it seems that my spiritual life is way too comfortable and relaxed. To get a good spiritual heat-index score I clearly need to stay heat stressed . . . in other words, stay in the line of fire spiritually, be on the cutting edge, extend myself beyond what I can do in my own strength. I can feel the heat index rising already.
The heat index has an opposite counterpart for the winter time which gives a rough approximate value called wind chill. It is air temp plus the effect of air movement, with the end result being once again, an evaluation of the precise effect cold-wise, on your body.
Clearly I have few skills as a meteorologist and little future in this business based on how challenged I am at explaining such simple effects. But while the weather is fascinating and relevant to our daily existence, I am more interested in the heat-index and wind-chill of my spiritual life.
I am appalled at how hot and/or cold my spiritual life can run, even in the same day! But more interesting than that, is that the apparent temp of my spiritual life and the actual heat-index or wind-chill of my spiritual life, while it is not visible on a thermometer, represents the actual effect of my spiritual experience.
Now to find a consistent way to grade that spiritual heat-index or wind-chill, and moreover, a way to pump the heat up up up. Unfortunately corporate or professional christianity seems to have an air-conditioning effect on me, I can’t really speak for you. While in the comfortable dry coolness of a modified temp environment, it seems that my spiritual life is way too comfortable and relaxed. To get a good spiritual heat-index score I clearly need to stay heat stressed . . . in other words, stay in the line of fire spiritually, be on the cutting edge, extend myself beyond what I can do in my own strength. I can feel the heat index rising already.
No comments:
Post a Comment