BELIEVING IN SOMETHING YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN

Years ago when our children were small we read them a children’s book about the Inuit.

They told a story to their children about a monster who lived under the ice, and if you fell through it would eat you.

We know that story was created to scare the children into staying off thin ice.

I’m sure there was a period of time, even years, when a maturing young person would still feel fear in his bones about this monster even though he knew it was just a story.

I saw a meme the other day about all the punishments of hell for those who don’t believe in the biblical Jesus.

A cool stream of fear trickled through my body… like a memory.

I know it’s all just a story.

But when it’s layered with eternal consequences, it has much more power.

However, again, this is just another layer to the story.

Even adults have a hard time distancing themselves from the feelings these stories were created to evoke.

I’m happy to say time helps… and intentional re-education… rewiring our brains so that they aren’t triggered with stories anymore but are as certain about the good things as they were the bad.