A Recommended Treatment for Spiritual Amnesia

CrossTalk

One of the most common refrains of scripture is "remember."

Over and over again, God's people are told to remember who they are, who God is, and how He has acted on their behalf.

This remembering took place in different ways: by the setting up of stone monuments, by reciting affirmations of God's personhood, by setting letters on doorposts, by praying daily, and by gathering weekly.

Reminders were everywhere and constant.

That's because God is not unaware of this fact: we're prone to spiritual amnesia.

Spiritual Amnesia

Spiritual amnesia is a condition we're all affected by.

It's our stubborn proclivity to forget who we are, to lose sight of spiritual realities, and tether our hearts to the wrong things.

And the worst part about it is how unaware most of us are to the fact that we suffer from this condition.

I know I do. It's embarrassingly easy for me to forget the Lord, to lose sight of His track record of faithfulness in my life, to not seek Him, or pray to Him, or be concerned with the things He is.

Instead of doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God, I'm doing my job, loving my little hobbies, and walking obliviously toward God.

Like the Israel of Scripture, I need reminders. I need the weekly reminder from worshiping on Sunday with my community of faith. I need the daily reminder of Scripture and my morning time with Jesus. And a few physical reminders as well.

In this case it’s two paintings:

1. The first of a church in winter.

2. The second of a martyred Salvadorian priest.

The Church

Sitting just above my computer in my home office is a painting of a church in winter, created over 20 years ago by my uncle.

For most of my life, it sat in my great-grandmother's house until he gifted it to me after her passing.

The painting shows an old white church in the forest, surrounded by snow and leafless trees. The natural surroundings depict the dark cold of winter, but light is not absent. In the midst of the icy deluge, there is a soft and welcoming light seeping through the windows of the church, arching onto the horizon.

This light, emanating from the assembly of God's people, mirrors the rising sun. The picture serves as a palpable reminder of the world as it truly is—dark, cold, and in need of divine thawing. Yet, the church sits in the midst of it, welcoming all of creation into divine light.

As I spend my days on calls, meeting with clients, writing, typing away, sending emails, solving problems, and negotiating contracts, this church sits above me. It consistently reminds me of the world as it really is and of my deeper calling within it—as a member of the household of faith, the church of Christ Jesus.

The Priest

Sitting at my desk and glancing to the right, another painting is nestled in my field of vision. This one of Oscar Romero. Like the church above, this was a gift from my parents after graduating from Seminary.

Oscar Romero offers a different reminder, but an equally important one.

He reminds me that to be a part of the church, to be a part of the assembly of God's people, is to act in the world in a different way—to participate in the divine thawing of the dark world.

Oscar Romero lived this out through his life. As the Bishop of San Salvador, he spoke out against the bitter oppression of the Salvadorian people. Every day, the poor in his community were beaten, killed, and taken advantage of. In the midst of all this, there was a conspiracy to keep the truth silent.

But Bishop Romero refused to be silent, knowing that doing so would compromise his commitment and his calling to participate in the kingdom of God. Eventually, this commitment cost him his life.

Every day as I work, his image sits there looking at me, reminding me of our common calling. The light of the church above me can’t stay within the church. It needs to move out into the world. My work is always a means to an end.

Find Your Reminders

I share this as an encouragement to find your own reminders.

It could be a necklace, a rubber band, or a piece of art. A pen, a stone, or a poem. It doesn’t matter.

Find reminders to place in your daily life that serve as signposts pointing you to the deeper realities of the kingdom of God. Spiritual amnesia is isn’t a casual condition but a serious one.

Take seriously the ways in which you remember.