Symptoms make us nervous… He’s coughing! She has a runny nose or a fever! Stay away! They could be contagious!
Behaviorial symptoms have always made us nervous. He looks at porn! She drinks too much! They over spend! He over eats! Stay away from those unhealthy people! They could be contagious!
I think we'd all agree that external symptoms are typically an indicator that something deeper is going on in an individual.
The external symptoms of societal groups also make us nervous and provoke our judgements. That group is stealing our jobs! Those people over there are always seeking free hand outs! Why are they always commiting crimes? Stay away from those people! (Or lock them up, deport them, etc.)
We point fingers and cast judgment on both individuals as well as entire societal groups when we see external symptoms that make us uncomfortable.
Our default is to fixate on symptoms rather than examining the deeper source of the pain - the system.
I’m not much of a car guy. All I know is when I hear a symptom that makes me uncomfortable such as a rattle here or clankity clank there, I make an appointment with a professional who understands how the system underneath the symptom operates.
Human diagnostics are similar. The external symptom is always pointing to something deeper.
Jesus refered to external symptoms using the metaphor of a cup. In speaking about the pious ones who judge others, he spoke of the outside of their cup being clean (free of symptoms) while the inside of the cup (the system) was filthy.
You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. - Matthew 23:26
For the Pharisee, the internal workings of their system was a disgusting mess. If they were to dig deeper and investigate why the inside of their cup was so dirty, they would trace it back to deep trauma - the pain of war, slavery, and suffering oppression generation after generation. In response to the trauma, they developed a religious ideology as a coping strategy to survive. It’s what we do. Our coping strategies don’t typically start out as toxic but when left unexamined, they eventually - like a virus - take on a life of their own. The unexamined ego runs wild and the inside of the cup never really gets diagnosed or properly addressed.
This is how both individuals and societies operate.
Symptoms – the wonky behaviors – don't just happen. They stem from the system that creates them.
Systems - the interior condition of the cup, must be carefully and prayerfully examined. What was the pain or trauma at the source of the issue? What circumstances and responses allowed it to come to this?
And whether we're speaking of individuals or societies, the work of examination begins with listening with the ear of our heart. Can we allow both individuals and societies to honestly share their stories while we listen with care and compassion? Eventually, we'll ask and address the deeper questions that allow us to see the source of the pain.
Symptoms whether physically or spiritually are not to be ignored, but the invitation is to be present, to listen, and ask the deeper questions that reveal the foundational system that lies beneath it all.
Comments