In a world where the reboot has replaced original movie ideas and the sequel has become the norm, I bring you Medical Metaphor Part 2 – the sequel (click here to view Medical Metaphor [part 1]) . People often say the sequel is never as good as the original but I hope that Medical Metaphor Part 2 will open to critical and audience acclaim. You be the judge.

Just like Medical Metaphor [part 1], it’s time to metaphor!

Now that I have used the word metaphor as a verb in two blog posts, I expect it will be considered a verb in all mainstream dictionaries.

It has been two days since I made my yearly pilgrimage for a procedure that can best be described as nerve wrecking. No that is not a spelling mistake, they burnt until severed, the pain transmitting nerves in my neck to address the symptoms caused by deterioration in my facet joints.

I am amazed at the improvement and even more amazed at the amount of pain I had been living with. It was so bad that I had come to the point where pain no longer registered as pain most of the time. Every day became a battle to function while dealing with extreme pressure in my head, blurred vision, fatigue, a lack of focus, ringing ears (I answered but it was just a telemarketer), anxiety attacks and sudden mood swings.

If it’s always there, it becomes the new normal.

I don’t know of anyone would call extreme pressure in their head, blurred vision, fatigue, a lack of focus, ringing ears, anxiety attacks and sudden mood swings normal. For most people, if any one of these symptoms suddenly happened they would be off to the hospital. On the other hand, people who have had a condition that deteriorates over time will tell you that they don’t notice the increasing severity of their symptoms because they are always there and new symptoms are accepted as the norm. Every day is the same as the one before with no noticeable difference unless you get a chance to live outside of your condition.

Life is full of things that become the new normal.

“I don’t know how much entertainment has worn away at you but the next time a scene that suggests or shows unmarried characters engaging in a sexual relationship, ask yourself, “does this even phase me?” When I was growing up, Christians were worried about the language in movies and on TV, followed closely by the amount of exposed skin. What was lost by focusing on creating rules to address the obvious linguistic and visual boundary pushing, was the changing message about sex. Although there were movies being made that were rated “R”, there were many more that catered to a wider age range. To make a movie or a TV show available to the largest audience and therefore create the best opportunity for a money making hit production, the language and the nudity had to be all but eliminated. If you want parents and teens to see your show keep it “PG”. When watching these “cleaner” shows, do you find yourself cheering for the romantic lead or the action hero to finally get the girl or guy? I do! Okay I admit it, as much as I am not a big fan of rom-coms (romantic comedies) I still get swept up in the love stories, please don’t tell anyone. The truth is, when we cheer for a connection to be made between characters, almost always we are cheering for them to “hook up”. In the fantasy world created by Hollywood, love is expressed by sleeping together while marriage is an afterthought if it is thought of at all. Let’s face it, we don’t even notice that this is what we are cheering for. We don’t realize that we are accepting sinful behaviour as part of this good story. How we view sex or drugs, lying or cheating, or any sinful acts can be slowly conformed to the pattern of this world through the media we consume.” *

It’s time for a new normal.

They burnt the nerves in my neck to sever my old way of experiencing life, separating me from what had become the norm. As soon as the old norm no longer had the ability to influence my perception of life, a new way of experiencing things took over. The longer I am in a state of pain, the more I accept the additional symptoms as normal. The longer I immerse myself in the culture of this world, the more I accept the additional moral input as normal. I cannot avoid the return of pain in my neck just as we cannot avoid the return of morally corrupt input in our lives but we need to create ways to interrupt its influence. The world’s input, just like my neck pain, cannot be permanently removed but the more time I spend free of it, the more I am able to recognize that it is not a good normal.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

View this passage and much more at BibleGateway.com

 

* Quote from “Blueprint” by J David Peever