Dislocated faith needs to be ‘reset’ at times

I recently dislocated my little finger. Yeah, ouch! It was a misty morning and I was on my way to do the chores. As my foot made contact with the wooden step leading into the barn, it slid in a soaping move that would’ve made any skateboarder proud, and I threw out my left arm to catch my balance. I managed to remain upright, but when I looked to see why my hand was hurting, I discovered that my little finger was now shaped like a Z. I studiously avoided looking at it on the ride to the medical center; it was that creepy!

The doctor took one look and shuddered. He grasped my hand and began pressing from the base of my little finger up to the tip. When he reached the middle knuckle, I felt the tiny pop as it slipped back into place. Ahhhh! He set my finger in a splint and wound it with a blue wrapping (that looked suspiciously like the same stuff the vet used on our dog’s paw), all the while explaining about dislocations.

As soon as a joint is dislocated, the muscles and tendons surrounding it immediately begin to accommodate the new arrangement. That’s why it’s important to get it into place as quickly as possible; otherwise your body starts getting used to the damaged position and it takes longer for it to get back to normal.

This brought to mind a great spiritual parallel.

A lot of people know David as the boy who killed Goliath and went on to become one of Israel’s great kings. But how many know that this “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) got so far out of line as to have another man murdered? It took a series of choices that went from bad to wicked to get him there. Just as the muscles and tendons stretched to accommodate my bent finger, each bad choice made it easier for David to justify his actions.

In 2 Samuel 11:1, we see David dispatching Joab and the troops into battle while he remains in Jerusalem – mistake No. 1. When he should’ve been with his men, he was checking out the scenery from the palace roof – viola, Bath-sheba, whom he invites for a sleepover – mistake No. 2. When he finds out she’s pregnant, he writes a message to Joab to send Uriah, her husband, from the battlefield back to Jerusalem – mistake No. 3. David urges Uriah to go home to Bath-sheba, but Uriah spends the night at the castle gate. When questioned the next day, Uriah says there’s no way he’ll take R&R while his men are at war, so David gets him drunk – mistake No. 4. Even in a drunken stupor, Uriah refuses to go home, instead spending the night with the king’s servants. David writes a letter to Joab, instructing him to put Uriah in the hottest part of the battle, thus assuring his death – mistake No. 5.

You’ve got to hand it to David, though. Even in the midst of his depraved indifference, he knew Uriah was a man of such great integrity that he wouldn’t open the message containing his death warrant.

How does this apply to us? We aren’t in charge of kingdoms or armies or other people’s lives, but it’s still all about choices. We, too, live and die by the choices we make every day. We choose not to attend church. We choose not to have fellowship with our church family, not to read the Bible, to go places we shouldn’t go, say words we shouldn’t say … the list is endless. And the further we get from the truth, the harder it is to recognize ourselves as Christ’s witnesses. There’s a wonderful quote to that effect: “If God seems far away, guess who moved?”

Where does that leave David? After Nathan delivers his “Thou art the man,” speech (2 Sam. 12:7), David confesses his sin. He’s forgiven, but his actions have their consequences. The child born to him and Bath-sheba dies.

The Bible encourages us to keep short accounts by confessing our sins as soon as they happen. First John 1:9 has been called “The Christian’s bar of soap” for good reason: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Sometimes it’s the things we choose not to do: to offer an encouraging word to a coworker; to stop and listen to an old man’s adventures of the day; to allow a child to “help” us with our project; or to volunteer to help with Bible study or youth group.

What is your life missing? God is waiting to pour out His blessing: empty or full, it’s your choice.

Brenda J. Norris is assistant Sunday school leader and choir director at the West Lubec Methodist Church. She may be reached via bdnreligion@bangordailynews.net. Voices is a weekly commentary by Maine people who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.