Can We Become Disinterested In Unhealthy Living?

by Eric Elkin

“God said, “Go and say to this people: Listen intently, but don’t understand;  look carefully, but don’t comprehend. Make the minds of this people dull.  Make their ears deaf and their eyes blind,  so they can’t see with their eyes  or hear with their ears,  or understand with their minds, and turn, and be healed.””

— Isaiah 6: 9-10

A dull mind can be a dangerous thing. It is a first-world arrogant thing to say, but lack of food dulls my mind. It's an arrogant thought because food is a choice in my life. For those who suffer from chronic hunger, there are few options when hungry. If my mind is to be sharp, I need to be aware of conditions beyond myself.

Since food is a choice in my life, I often choose to eat more than I should. To combat this problem, I have been trying to intentionally limit my food consumption. The plan works really well until I delay the evening meal too long. If I do not eat by 5 or 6 pm, I quickly develop a hangry condition.

Friday night, both Peggy and I developed hangry conditions simultaneously. Unfortunately or fortunately, a table at a restaurant was hard to come by in the post-COVID restriction world. Finally, we found a place with good burgers. We could see relief in sight.

I ordered a Jucy Lucy, where the cheese is placed inside the burger patty. By the time my food arrived, patience had completely left me. With a mind dulled by hunger, I bit into the burger without thinking. Hot cheese exploded into my mouth. A piece of cheese stuck to my lip. Within seconds, a blister developed. Thus, ruining the taste of my food for the night. A little awareness and patience could have prevented this problem.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference”

— Richard Niebuhr

Sometimes a dull mind can be a good thing. When I consider the past year, in order to adapt to new circumstances, we needed to become dull to previous ways. For many people, work could be done at home. It was unnecessary to make a long commute and spend hours away from home to earn a living. There is more than one way to be a productive employee.

Before COVID-19, I refused to wear a mask when doing home construction projects. I'm pretty sure this practice contributed to my current respiratory issues. However, being forced to wear a mask dulled my mind to my previous refusal. I am comfortable wearing a mask. I plan on continuing to use one for health reasons.

Lately, I have been thinking about the continued growth of mental health issues in the United States. We are seeing significant increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation from children as young as 11 to adults in their 60s. Something about the way we are living is not working for our mental health.

Perhaps we need to become dull to unhealthy practices. Dull in the sense we are willing to give them up. Then maybe the people might turn and be healed. On the flip side, it will be dangerous to our health if we continue to be disinterested in changing. I believe we need to hear the words of Isaiah as though he is speaking to us. God is calling you to a better way to live. A way of life that is life-giving.

Click to read Isaiah 6: 1-10