Monday, October 5, 2015

Devotion 10.06.15

Daniel Levitin has written a book titled The Organized Mind which is a detailed analysis on the brain, the mind, how it functions, how we learn, how it organizes, and the implications that has for us.  The subtitle describes its direction, "Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload."  We've had people state observations, largely incorrect, in the past 15 years as technology has produced a variety of opportunities for distractions.  The result is some mistakenly state that people, especially those 30 and under, have developed a capacity to "multi-task."  Levitin, and many studies cited from MIT, state that is not true.

The brain (the organ) and mind (consciousness) developed over the past several thousand years, functioning on its surroundings and its ability to create, sort, organize, think, and remember.  Because, as he notes, the memory in the mind is highly fallible, humans have relied on language, the written language, to help it organize and track its observations, thoughts, memory, learnings, and other operations.  He states early in the book that the first forms of writing have been with regard to our ancestors patterns from hunter/gatherer to settling in an area with centers, soon to become cities, largely to process commerce such as agriculture.  So, he says, the first forms of writing we have are items such as inventory and sales.  Literature comes much later.

A joke in a movie I've watched a thousand times is when Dr. Evil, in "Austin Powers," claims his father was eccentric and claimed to have invented the question mark (?).  Yet as language developed and the written word followed suit, when did a question appear first appear?  It is worth noting that Moses (who records in writing the oral traditions and stories that existed before him) gives us the first account of a question after creation in Genesis 3. Here we find Satan asking Eve, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" (v 1)  This isn't claiming that questioning is evil, but note how it is used here.  Eve correctly asserts God's desires in response to Satan, after which Satan entertains the doubt of what God actually said, responding, "You will not surely die...." (v 4)  You know the rest of this story.

Yes, we love to question.  In many instances, it is healthy, and in many instances, it is sinful.  Caste just enough doubt, but make sure my hands aren't on this at all.  "Hey, I just asked the question.  I've not made an accusation."  To question can be a form of true thought, and it can be a form of true divisiveness. 

We are thankful for God creating in us a mind shaped in his image that can be used to create beautiful works as well as perform miraculous feats and modern advances.  We also pray that we use these powerful tools he's given us to bring glory to our Creator, and we pray a prayer of thanksgiving that He sent His Son to die for those sins we commit when our minds create far less than glorious things.

Hope Men's Ministry

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