Brains and bodies, part 1

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:17-18) 

The brain is an amazing organ. I think we all know that without our brains we couldn’t live, but if you ponder just for a moment what the brain does for us then you’ll discover just how amazing it is. Our eyes and ears take in all sorts of patterns of light and sound, but our brain turns those patterns into meaning; it constructs a world of objects and people that we recognise. Our bodies have nerves that sense feelings, but our brains tell us whether that feeling means we need food, or water, or to move one swiftly away from a hot surface! Our brain gives us language to articulate what we are experiencing and communicate with those around us. One article estimates that our brains make 35,000 decisions every day! Of course, we can’t possibly put a figure on it, but our brains are constantly making decisions, whether it is small matters about whether our right foot should move forwards or backwards, or big decisions like whether to marry someone!
 
As I ponder this, I’m beginning to think that my brain is not just amazing, but it’s rather kind too. It’s protecting my body, protecting ‘me’, helping to make sure I get the things I need, helping me make sense of and navigate the world around me, helping to keep me safe from things that might harm me.
 
In Colossians, we read that Christ is the head of the church, and we are the body. What a wonderful image. Jesus is the head and we are the body. Like our amazing brains that do so much to enable us to live, Jesus protects us, ensures we get what we need, directs us and helps us to make sense of the world. And not only that, just as our brains are intimately and consistently connected to our bodies, so is Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, with us every moment of every day. How do we respond to that truth? We’ll think about that more on Wednesday, but for now my first response is one of gratitude.  I’m cared for and connected, every moment of every day.

Photo by Bret Kavanaugh on Unsplash