The Fitness of the Church: 15th Century style

Allow me a moment of distraction, while I react and respond to a few articles that seem to be hot among my friends. These articles are about Evangelical Millennial's who are attending Catholic Mass. Which, if you're not into Christian lingo, means Protestants are going back to the Catholicism. In other words, a few hundred years ago we killed each other (in Europe) over who went to which religious service, but now we're mingling peacefully. Thank God the war is over!

But is it? For while we've stopped hacking each other to death with swords and spears, we're still leery of the other side. After all, evangelicals aren't exactly happy that 20-30 somethings are going to High Church traditions (High Church as in traditional, meaning liturgy, formal dress, sit/stand services, no coffee etc; not meaning High School). While some are ecstatic that liturgy and being uncool is now, um... cool? Others still shake their fists and wonder what happened. Why are the youth of evangelical churches forsaking their own religious culture in exchange for something else?

The answer is as unsurprising as Martin Luther's 95 theses. Luther hated (his own words) the indulgences (as in greedy money gaining tactics disguised as holiness) of the Church. He wanted the Church to clean up its act (Church with a capital C meaning the universal (latin word is Catholic) body of believers. church with a little c means a local gathering. We are all catholic in this sense, but not Catholic.) And the church he was referencing was the Catholic church. Luther was Catholic. He liked being Catholic. He didn't want to be Lutheran, but due to politics, greed and a couple of really upset money grubbers and a prosperous German prince, he ended up starting his own movement, later to be called Lutheranism (I don't know of any Lutheran who would use the word Lutheranism). But I digress.

With this in mind I decided to read Luther's 95 theses. You can read the ones I read at: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/95theses.htm. With these in mind, I decided to see if I could deduce why evangelicals would become Catholic. Meaning, do they see what Luther saw in the tradition he started out in, and desire to be a part of something else? I believe they do, because I believe those who are leaving the evangelical church aren't doing it to be cool, but because they are disgusted by what they see. And I think the outside world is too.

Without further ado, here are 14 of Luther's theses, with my modern interpretation beneath them, I thought relevant to the currently circulating articles and shifting demographics:

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

If you've been a part of any church, you know that the people who lead aren't perfect. They sin, and when they sin spectacularly they hurt the image of Christ we as believers hope to manifest. It makes the Church look like hypocrites. We desire that our whole lives be changed by the message of Christ, not simply being changed into holy-looking people who secretly go out and do whatever we want when no one's looking. Repentance means a turning away from the way we conducted our lives before Christ and stepping into something new and seeking it with all our hearts.

3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.

This repentance is not in name only. It shows up visibly in the way we conduct ourselves. Its an all the time thing, not a part-time pastime. Our reputations should conform to the message of the gospels. We should have no need to conduct publicity or marketing campaigns to make the Church or a church look good. Such behavior is evidence that we have not repented of our sins.

6. The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

No leader of the Church can declare someone forgiven, only God forgives. Leaders can only declare what they see manifested in another's life. Christian leaders are not God and cannot usurp His authority or His decisions in order to admit someone into the church fellowship. God is Judge and God alone.

19. Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are certain and assured of salvation, even if we are very certain ourselves.

While this argument stems from the idea of purgatory, it centers on the certainty of salvation. If we are confused of our own salvation, we cannot take certainty of salvation from the words or actions of a Church leader. We should be certain of salvation based on the message of the gospel, not the words of men.

21. Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.

There is nothing we can do as people to ensure the salvation of another. This is God's task, any man who claims he can give or do what only God does, as described in the gospels, is a liar, and should not be listened to.

28. It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers intercession, all depends in the will of God.

Money does not determine salvation, neither does a specialized Church program; intercessory prayer and God's decision to act are what change the hearts of humanity.

32. All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

Charitable giving is not the same as grace and forgiveness. Giving money is good, but it is not a means to heaven.

36. Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters of indulgence.

Forgiveness is for those who repent and turn from their lives. It is not a certificate given out by men and it is not a prayer for salvation that never effects the way we live.

40. A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences, and tends to make them hate the penalties.

A repentant heart is not afraid of the journey of forgiveness and change. Repentance brings about a desire for reconciliation towards those who have been wronged by the one desiring repentance. Though this journey may be difficult physically and emotionally, it is still undertaken.

43. Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.

It is better to show God's love and grace through social services than to build a nice looking building.

51. Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he ought if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and give, too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure money.

If the need of the word be so great, we should be willing to sell our Church buildings and sacrifice our earnings for the cause of living the gospel.

62. The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

Our treasure is not a light show, rock band, worship center or any other material thing. Our treasure is the word of God, the grace he gives us and the ability to live it out.

94. Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.

Christian living costs something; it's not suburban comfort while people suffer in the streets. This is the life we should be encouraged to live, and encourage others to live by our examples.

95. And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.

May we put our hope in the gospel as we lived it, not prayers we said but never walked on the street, nor in any other thing taught to us by those who never wore the gospel on their feet.


When I think on these things, it is no surprise that some would leave churches and go to other churches where they hope to become part of living out the gospel. I would think we should always seek out the truth, and those who preach it. Regardless of denomination, division of the Church or any other reason we decide we cannot stand together as the body of Christ. We should seek to be One, as Jesus prayed for us on the night he was betrayed. Jesus's prayer of intercession needs to be the prayer of the catholic Church. We still need to grace of God to be made whole, we as in the Body of Christ.

Is such a thing even possible? Is it possible for the Church to unite as brothers and sisters with one Father and one Mother? I pray that that day would come, and I hope to live in such a way that I would never discourage another believer simply because our styles of worship are different. I should hope that whatever differences we find in material practice are made up for in the physical living of the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Why I practice Yoga

The other day I invited a friend to go to a Yoga class with me, and while my friend had gone with me before, this time they hesitated. They said something about an article they read that said Christians shouldn't do Yoga, but they were fuzzy about the details. I was hurt and frustrated. I love Yoga, and I am unashamed to associate myself with it, especially as a Christian, because I believe Yoga has physical and spiritual benefits. I could pontificate about the goodness of physical Yoga, about how it strengthens and lengthens muscle tissue and helps restore damaged or tired muscles, but as the argument against Yoga was not physical in nature, my refutation needs to be spiritual in nature.

PS: I have not read the article, but I know enough about Yoga, having practiced it and studied Indian culture, that I am confident I can articulate three major objections. I continue to practice Yoga because I have wrestled with these questions and come to a place of peace and understanding about the nature of Yoga.

Objection 1: Yoga is a Hindu form of worship.

Response: Not exactly. This is how Huston Smith, writer of The Illustrated World's Religions: A guide to our wisdom traditions, describes yoga as, "a method of training designed to lead to integration or union. It includes physical exercises, but its ultimate goal is union with God. The spiritual trails that Hindu's have blazed toward this goal are four... The result is a recognition, pervading the entire religion, that there are multiple paths to God..." The four paths are knowledge, love, work, and psychophysical exercise (or Yoga as we in the West recognize it). So yes, Hindu's practice Yoga, but it's bigger than the poses we think of. But the practice of physical Yoga does have a goal. To clear the mind, back out of material reality and rest in oneness. When you start a class, a traditional instructor will ask the yogis [yoGEEz] (people in the room) to set an intention, and to focus on that intention during class. The goal of a Yoga class is to journey together, and apart. In a non-exercise setting, yogis would share their individual experiences after a period or periods of meditation. The goal of the instructor is not to judge the experiences, but rather to remind the yogis that the experience is to bring them closer to oneness with God, who is the unconscious behind the conscious existence of the material world. The only person who claimed to achieve that state, and anyone gave credit to, was Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Which means that Yoga, as an exercise and mind clearing meditation, brought to its logical conclusions, super-cedes its religion of origin and transcends into something else. To say that Yoga belongs only to Hinduism, or Buddhism, is a denial of human nature. Yoga tells us that there is something about the material world worth drawing away from, worth turning the mind inward towards, worth emptying the self and seeking the divine. When I think on these things, I believe them to be true and I act on them. I may not take the traditional Hindu or Buddhist path, for my goal is not enlightenment, but to use Yoga to seek God is not a denial of the purpose of Yoga. Rather, it is the fulfillment of the practice. Yoga that does not seek anything is simply a way of moving the body, like riding a bicycle. And if some Yoga is simply riding a bicycle, then there is no harm in it.

Objection 2: Hindu worship music is played in Yoga classes.

Response: The choice of music is always up to the instructor. An instructor chooses the music and sets the tone of the room. They may accent the room with fragrances, lights or other physical elements, but this is no different from other forms of exercise. Crossfit gyms have their own smell (some may say stench), its often the smell of sweat, dust and rubber tires. These smells become soothing and comforting to the participants (yes, I just argued that the smell of tires, sweat and dust can be soothing and comforting!) as is the choice of music. Hindu worship music is not in English. You have to know something about the Ramayana and/or Hindu chanting to even know that you are listening to it. And if you know that specific music notes relate to words, numbers and syllables then you'd really be aware of what you're listening to. But if you know nothing about Hinduism, or Indian music theory, then it sounds like soothing music. Which is what happens when we listen to a traditional choir sing in a language we don't understand. We appreciate that they are worshipping God, even if we have no clue what they are saying. I won't make the argument that Hindu's are worshipping the Christian God, because the Hindu concept of God doesn't match up with the Christian concept of God, but I would rather make the assertion of what the listener sets their focus on. Is it the sound and syllable of the music? Or is the music simply a tool to focus on something else? The music, or lack thereof, is a tool to focus on something else, it is either an aid or a hindrance. It's country of origin does not determine it's usefulness, the person listening and moving does.

Objection 3: Yoga is influencing non-Hindu's to think like Hindu's.

Response: Does practicing basketball make me think like an American? Does playing cricket make me think like a Brit? Or playing soccer make me more European? If we believe that a set of physical motions determines how we think, move, feel and act then we should be extremely careful not to practice any motions that disagree with our philosophies. Which means I must talk about my personal philosophy, the philosophy and religion that has been given to multitudes of peoples and generations; the philosophy that lets me practice Yoga. " God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." God created our bodies. God created our countries. God created the mountains where Buddhists meditate, and the jungles, deserts and plains where Hindu's worship. God did not say we should avoid the mountains, deserts and jungles of other people, simply because they live there. He did not pronounce those places as evil, wrong or bad. Thus if I take a pose and name it after God's creation, I have not done something evil or wrong, but rather what I do with a pose and in the pose makes it good or bad. God gives us the freedom to move, he does not restrict our movement, but rather he asks us to reign in our hearts.

There is a very small letter in the New Testament portion of the Bible that addresses this very thing. Paul wrote it to a man named Philemon (hence the name of the letter). This letter is so short my blog has more words than the letter. But in this letter, Paul asks, though he could demand, a very small thing from the household owner named Philemon. He asks him to take back a runaway slave and accept him as a brother. This very short letter doesn't seem like much, but Paul's little request turned the order of the world on its head. According to culture, Onesimus, the slave in question, was a tool to be used by Philemon. Meaning Onesimus was expendable, literally the lowest person on the social ladder. Paul bases his request on one thing, "Perhaps the reason he was separated fro you for a little while was that you might have him back for good-- no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord." According to the social order Onesimus was not a man, and most certainly not an equal, which is what it means to be a brother in this setting. Paul bases his audacious claim on one thing alone. Onesimus is a brother in the Lord. Onesimus became a follower of Jesus when he met Paul (AKA became a Christian). Following Jesus means flipping the order of the world on its head. It's a removal of power and a system of equality, based on equality in Christ. Paul asks for Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother, because they are all brothers, all equals, in Christ. This is the basis for Paul's argument. This is why Paul asks Philemon to reign in his heart, while at the same time giving him some freedom to choose. Paul wants Philemon to do what is right, even though it sounds crazy. Even though Paul could order him to do it, Paul wants Philemon to do it out of love for Christ.

I practice Yoga out of a love for Jesus. I don't demand yogis and yoga instructors make their classes fit my tastes. I am not offended by the origins of Yoga, but rather I see the truth behind the origin of Yoga, seeking God. This is my honest and whole-hearted intent when I practice Yoga, to draw closer to my God and draw away from the material that so easily distracts. I mentally peal away the rough exteriors which so often cause friction between peoples and cultures. I look for the hearts of the people, and to be honest, Hindu's want to spend time with God! Is this desire wrong? Is the physical practice of seeking this wrong? I know that the heart and the mind behind this may not manifest themselves in a way that's easily understood by Western culture, but at our core we are all part of God's creation, even though we do not all practice being his creation rightly. This is the other part of the Genesis creation story, the part that many find offensive. That Man sinned, and separated himself from God. And while Man seeks to bridge that chasm, Man cannot do it unless God reaches out and makes it possible. This is the person of Jesus, God reaching out to Man saying, 'Come home! You are mine, come be with me. Come spend time with your brothers and sisters in the good world I have created for you!' But many of us would rather choose our hierarchies, our inequalities, split the world into good-enough or not-good-at-all and choose who and what gets into what God made for us.

When I practice Yoga, I am amazed at God's creation. I am reminded of my incompleteness, as my body stumbles, encounters tensional knots and slips out of place. I am reminded that God loves me, and all His creation, everyone He gave the breath of life. I am humbled by how often I forget the simple joy of breathing, and that so many others have been given this same wonderful gift. I am amazed by the intricacies of my own body, the positions I am capable of, and confronted by how many of my waking hours I'm unaware of the blessing of a whole and healthy body. When I practice Yoga, I set my intentions on God, and he leads me down the paths I need to go that day. Whether its the path to forgive a friend, let go of my work related anxiety, surrender my circumstances, finances, relationships, inadequacies and accept God's love for me. I also challenge myself to think of others. I am reminded that God loves the world, the whole world, everyone to whom He has given life, even those who reject Him, will not know Him and will choose to remain apart from Him. I pray for them. I pray they would be found by Him. By whatever circumstances He deems necessary. Through whatever road they must travel before they come to His road. That they would choose to walk with Him for the remainder of their days. And I hope to celebrate with them one day, when all the sin of our material world has been washed away.

Permanent Condition

Any athlete or fitness lover knows the body constantly changes. We either improve the condition of our body or it deteriorates. I'll never forget my college track & field coach warning us that we needed to workout three times over Spring Break to maintain our condition. Meaning we needed to do three sprinting style workouts, not just weights or plyometrics, to keep what we had developed in the previous weeks of training. We had to practice our sport, not just some form of physical exercise. Some of us thought we could get away with only doing one or two workouts, but there was a clear difference between those who did what our coach asked, and those who didn't. Those who practiced weren't sucking wind during our initial return; let's just say those who did less had a whole lot more breath to catch. This drove home the lesson that even though we may be talented and skillful, we had to put in effort to keep growing; our bodies weren't in a permanent condition.

This is true no matter what phase of life we are in. Sure there are some activities we never forget how to do, like riding a bicycle, but there is a huge difference between leisurely riding and riding at a fast pace; its clear when we've lost of competitive edge. Which is quite sad and depressing, and is perhaps the major reason former athletes put on unhealthy weight, resigning themselves to obesity. They give up for multiple reasons, but there is one thing they often forget, the body is not in a permanent condition. The body can fall into a state of unhealthiness, but it can also be brought back to wholeness. Welcome to today's subject.

Unhealthiness often starts with an injury. Something small doesn't feel right. We decided to tough it out, that everything will be okay and we'll take care of it when it becomes a real issue. That little pain grows and becomes a big pain. At this point we start asking questions, but we down play the injury; we don't want anyone to know the pain is serious. As the severity of the pain grows we start trying multiple methods of fixing it. If nothing works, or doesn't work as fast as we'd like, we give up on being healed and resign ourselves to the calamity we know is coming. The injury that takes us out of the sport we love, or walking away so the pain will stop but not heal. This whole process could have been prevented if we addressed the little pain at the beginning. If we had treated the small misalignment, strengthened a weak muscle or just held back a little bit while our body adapted, we would have been okay. If when the pain grew we stepped aside and did a little physical therapy and continued with a few modifications and additional exercises, we would have been okay. And when the pain became severe if we had just taken some time off, stuck with a reduced physical routine until our body healed and gradually worked ourselves back in, we would have been fine. But too often we wait for the crash, or come to the point where we've lost love for our form of movement. What once gave us joy becomes an object of our scorn and hate. What a sad state of being!

Health starts by recognizing we are responsible for our movements. Every motion we make with our body has a direct impact on the way we feel. From how we walk, to how we sit, to how we throw a punch; our repetitive motions define us and our health. When we learn how to change these subtle, but daily things, the effect is dramatic. Suddenly, chronic injuries melt away. Unbalanced muscles right themselves. Digestion changes. Confidence changes. The radiance of our life changes. All because we learn how to focus ourselves in the subtle areas of our lives.

Harnessing these little things causes transformation. Not just physically, but also spiritually. Jesus came to transform twisted and broken lives into whole and healthy lives of fruitfulness. A life transformed by Jesus the Christ is visibly and tangibly different. This palpable difference reveals itself in someone who walks the walk, not just someone who knows a lot of good Christian stuff. When John the Baptist, whom many thought was the Christ, saw Jesus walking  he said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Jesus didn't have to say anything, John knew who He was and what His mission was by the way Jesus walked.

Following Jesus can be complicated, but it can be boiled down to one thing: choosing health. Which isn't as easy as it sounds. Take our unhealthy analogy, there's a lot of life that causes little pains and given time those little pains can become suffocating inabilities. Following Jesus means taking the time to see the little uncomfortable things heal. It also means accepting the severity of our injuries, physical and emotional, by asking for help. It means walking away from the harmful practices of our life, but also finding the strength to maintain health and keep moving in activities that normally break other people's spirits, minds and bodies. A life transformed by Jesus is marked by its ability to improve in health, even in situations that normally shatter and break of hearts. This does not mean we won't be faced with injuries, but rather it means we will respond patiently and diligently work through our part of the healing process.

Our physical conditions are subject to change, but our spiritual condition can be set. We can choose to set our lives on Jesus, the only true Christ (Saviour, Healer, Redeemer, Leader and Friend). Choosing Jesus means letting him guide us through our injuries, and letting him lead us to a place of wholeness. He won't cast aside our bodies, our hearts or our minds, but will bring our entire selves to fruition. Even if its not the fruitfulness we anticipate. It will be better, healthier and fuller for all.

Grace in motion

Grace surrounds us, though we often miss it. The beauty of grace is it's effortless appearance. Think of a dancer who floats across a stage. Every movement is infused with grace. Though she leaps across the stage, or is lifted gently off the ground, the entire performance has a seamless quality, one that enraptures the audience from beginning to end. This is a visual display of grace, and it makes us believe we can do whatever we have seen, though when we try, we discover that grace is not as simple as it appears. Spiritual grace has similarities with visual grace; it too appears effortless and but it also must be practiced.

When I think about grace, I think about injury. Injuries prevent movement. Grace restores movement. "It is by grace that we have been saved," saved, as in salvation, salvation as in a healing balm placed on a broken body. It is by grace our wounds have been made whole. Not only whole, but our broken bodies and spirits are capable of having the same awe inspiring grace of a dancer. That is God's grace in motion. God's desire is that our bodies, minds and spirits be made whole and beautiful, as seamless and as smooth as any practiced routine. This is the grace we want. And it is free, but it's not exactly without cost. It has to be practiced, and practice has its own price.

Just as learning how to walk takes time and effort, so does moving with grace. Once we have mastered walking, we rarely think about it; it simply becomes a part of who we are. This is how God wants us to live grace, as an extension of our being. But this isn't how we always think of it. Many times we pray for God's grace to manifest itself in some area of our life, but we don't practice. We simply use the skills and abilities we have, believing they are enough, not hoping for anything more than we have worked for, but the grace of God is greater than our accumulated efforts. It goes beyond what we are capable of.

Our capacity for grace is equal to the grace we are willing to receive. Sometimes God's grace looks more like a curse rather than a blessing. To give a quaint example, I finished writing this note an hour ago, but by the grace of God my attempt was thwarted and all but the first three paragraphs lost. At first I was upset, but then I re-read the first three paragraphs. I can humbly say that while I employed my ability as a writer in the lost portion, I lost the truth of the first three. Grace is something practiced, even though grace is greater than our individual practices. Why is it so difficult to describe? Because grace is mysterious. It's a quality hard to define but easy to see. I am not a master of grace, nor will I ever master grace because grace cannot be mastered; it can only be lived and practiced.

Moments of grace cannot be captured, much like a performance cannot be captured. There is something about experiencing grace that movies, music and sports television cannot convey. It's one thing to see grace from a distance, its another to be up close and personal with it. Its like the difference between being in a fight and watching it on TV. When you're in the fight you feel the surge of emotion around you. You taste blood in your mouth, feel sweat drip off your skin, hear your breath coming out in spurts. Watching a fight conveys some of this emotion, but living it... Living it is another world entirely. We like watching grace, it makes feel like we've accomplished something, but living grace, tasting it in our mouths is a completely different experience.

The call of Jesus is to taste grace, not just watch it. God invites us into the ring, gives us the tools we need, the training to use those tools and the wisdom to make sense of it all. At least, that's the ideal. Sometimes we stumble into the ring, get beat up for a few rounds and then magically knock the other person out with a few seconds left. That too is grace, but it doesn't feel the same as hard fought grace. If living grace is the call to be a fighter, many of use shy away from the ring. We prefer to practice the drills, study the videos and watch someone else do it, but we're afraid of stepping in the ring. We don't want to come face to face with our opponent because we're afraid we'll lose. When we're too afraid to step in the ring, its because we don't know the love of God. Love chases out fear. God's love gives us the strength to embrace His grace.

I believe that fighting for grace is part of the experience of grace, yet I also know that grace is something given, not something fought for and earned. Like a dancer or a fighter, they would tell you they spend years practicing to be graceful; the same is true of those who experience God's grace in their lives. The more we practice grace, the more we have of it. If we never practice grace, we won't have it. But when we have none of it, and don't know where to start, all we have to do is ask, and trust in the love of God that he'll lead us where we need to go.

I love seeing grace in motion, whether it be in a cross-fitters pull-up, a basketball players lay-up, a fighter's well timed KO punch, the perfect note on a singer's lips or the rhythmic moves of a dancer. I love watching grace. But more than I want to watch grace, I want to have grace. I want to be grace-full. I don't want to float around effortlessly, that would be really weird, but I do want my life to reflect that which god calls to in me. God calls me to wholeness. He calls me to healing. God calls me to accept his grace, to practice his grace and to let his gift of grace transform me into something I will never be able to attain on my own. That's the price of grace, giving up our pride and accepting that grace is not something hidden within us, it sits outside of us entirely.

We absolutely have the ability for grace to be made manifest in us. We are fertile ground for grace to grow. And grow it will. Given time. Given practice. Give patience. No fighter ever became champion in a day, and neither will we magically become champions of grace overnight. But we must at some point, at some time, decide to train for grace, and then step into the ring and experience it made manifest.

Conditioned

Nothing feels better than stepping out of a hot, humid day into a cold air-conditioned room. Getting away from the constant swelter relaxes and rejuvenates the body. It enhances our strength, giving us the ability to continue our journey in the heat of everyday living. I have a clear bias for cool, but I know the same truth applies to heat seekers; to them nothing feels better than stepping into a hot, humid, sweat dripping environment. Cares and concerns roll off the body or mist away as the heat melts all our worries and anxieties. Our response to these environments is one of conditioning; we like the familiar, natural environment we've spent most of our life in. We can adapt and learn to appreciate new environments, but we'll always have a preference for our home temperature. Or will we?

Modern devices give us a choice. We can choose to be warm and we can choose to be cold, an option billions of humans have never had. But what's interesting about our temperature preferences, are the axioms that go with skin coloration. The whiter the flesh, the sooner winter will refresh; the darker the color the more heat will recover. Is it true that our bodies have adapted to prefer a specific temperature; is this good science? Not really. Skin color has more to do with diet and sun exposure than temperature. But it does bring up a good point. How is it that some of us love one degree of heat, while disdain another? Especially since we can adapt to any environment regardless of our skin's pigmentation. While it is true that some medical conditions prescribe a specific environmental temperature and humidity, this doesn't describe a typical healthy human. What I would like to argue is that we are physically and mentally conditioned to prefer one environment over the other, and that this also applies to other areas of life, especially fitness, and even faith.

I love the wide range of motions in the fitness world. What's cool (see temperature preferences!) about these motions, they all have a time and a place. I love moving fast. Nothing feels better than finishing a hot and intense workout with the sensation of cool sweat trickling down the body. The feeling of trembling muscles, pushed to their limit is unbelievably pleasurable; I love it! It brings me great joy! Even though many people roll their eyes as soon as I start talking about it ;) But I also appreciate moving slow, especially as I've come to experience its benefits through practice. While the hot and fast workouts are amazing at building the body and flushing toxins, they can also lead to quick and reoccurring injuries. Moving slow often prevents these injuries, while opening up the body without breaking it down in the process. Moving slow helps the mind focus and lets the body unwind. It's not that moving fast is bad, or moving slow is better, they each have their place, but how quickly we do, or do not move is up to us, and the physical condition of our bodies. If we have not prepared ourselves to move quickly, moving quickly isn't a great way to start. If we never slow down to take care of our bodies, then our bodies will degrade into hurt, injury and chronic pain. So we should all move quickly to build our bodies, but slowly as we reinforce what has been built.

You could argue that moving quickly is a young persons activity, that eventually we all slow down and stop moving entirely. While our final cessation of movement is assured, how we get there is not. As I've read about movement and the body, the scientific community agrees that continued movement prevents aging. Thus the longer we continue to move and stay conditioned the healthier and younger our bodies look and feel. Which is why 80 year old farmers are still in peak physical condition, as compared to their fellows who haven't gotten up everyday and engaged in some sort of exercise. There is a huge health gap between the movers and nonmovers. One group is healthier than the other. Moving isn't a be all, cure all, and it won't always mean we'll have a six pack for life (or ever), but it will mean that our chances of enjoying the years in our life we increase. This is one of the primary reasons I pursue fitness, that and I was born to love it! (Okay, I admit I was more than likely conditioned to enjoy certain activities, but I was born with the capacity to love fitness!)

Which leads me to our next topic of discussion, what capacities are we born with? Born this way arguments believe that there is something so central to life, that it's hardwired into who we are. That no amount of conditioning can change what is true and natural about us, and that to change that part of who we are is wrong. When I think about fitness, I believe we are all born with the capacity for exercise, that our bodies crave movement, slow or fast, but we don't always pursue our natural desire to move. Our desire to move is often overcome by our desire for other things: like making money, spending time with family, pursuing education, putting food on the table, etc. We are moved by the most powerful forces in our life and allow those forces to condition us. And because of this some of us are in poor physical condition. Which is an affront to the nature of our bodies, and makes me very sad. We should all have the opportunity to move, we shouldn't have to choose! Which is what makes me even more sad; fitness and exercise make their way into our lives unnaturally. Fitness is supposed to be part of living, but currently we have to set time aside just to do fitness. Which is rather odd and why most people choose not to physically condition themselves; they simply choose other activities that no longer require movement. Its not that we ever lose the ability to move, but as time goes on it becomes harder and harder to physically condition our bodies. And the less we move, the less we want to move.

I'm not a big fan of hotness (see temperature preferences), I try not to concern myself with body shape, but rather bodily health. It should come as no surprise that beauty standards shift overtime, but healthy bodies are always attractive and desirable, even though medical standards of health shift (this is my shocked face). Even though standards shift, healthy people glow. Which may or may not be an actual light shining from within, but is manifested in a persons presence. People want to be around healthy people; its as if healthy people draw others in, without them even trying or noticing. (Being a health nut doesn't make you healthy, it might help, but it's not the end all be all. Health is more than skin deep, its an attitude and a presence as well.)

Which leads us to the next topic, what is a healthy faith? Just like the body, I would argue that a healthy faith is a faith that manifests itself in a daily way; it's consistent, a part of who that person is. When we track consistencies and establish guidelines, we form religions, literally ties that bind, or bonds with others if you will. As most of us want to live in societies with other healthy people, most of us would agree that we want to be a part of a healthy religion. But just like we don't all have healthy bodies, not all religions are healthy. And just like our friendly health nuts (which I've been told I am one) who mean well, being nutty isn't exactly the best way to make new friends, nor is it a good way to get people to like your religion. So why is it that so many people are nutty about their social practices?

I think many of us have been conditioned to be this way. Somewhere along the line we've been told that always being nutty is okay. Its not that our nuttiness is wrong, but when all we know how to talk about is our particular flavor of nuttiness, its a taste most people won't keep coming back for. Just like good food, and good fitness, we need a diversity of taste in our social nuttiness. It's okay for there to be a central flavor to our tastes, but there had better be some great sides and a cold refreshing beverage to wash it down with (again temperature preferences!)! The hard part of all this is knowing what has been a conditioned element in our nuttiness, our added seasonings if you will. If we discover that we've taken our seasonings as the main element, then we're unhealthy. It's getting down to the core of our life's meal: finding basic foods that make us healthy, basic movements that promote our physical health, social activities and guidelines that promote health in others and structuring our daily lives around those elements. And hopefully we healthily condition ourselves to enjoy those basic elements of life (or we could all just remain nuts :) ).

Expressions of Life

Life is simple isn't it? All we need to do is go to our jobs, do our work and life will take care of itself. People will take care of themselves too right? They don't need anyone else to tell them what to do, what to think or how to act? We're 100% self sufficient right? As I contemplate these statements, and how much I wish they were true, they do not match up with the world I live in. And they probably don't match up with the world other people live in either. Why? It's not that we are incapable of looking after ourselves, its that we need support and encouragement to find our way. But how much support? How much encouragement? How much help do we need? This is not an easily answered question, but we can look at how people answer this question.

One answer is Stoicism. In other words, don't say what the problems are because we know, and if we don't know the answer to a question, keep your trap shut and keep working, because there's no need to upset everyone's applecart because you're having a difficult time. Stoicism manifests itself as restraint. AKA keep a stiff upper-lip and carry on. Stoicism doesn't trust emotion, as emotion is not a force that is always under control. Emotions are after all, emotional.

Which leads us to the next variety of answers: Emotionalism. Getting emotional means there will be a solution to the problem, because we will all finally decide to do something about our current issue. We'll be really mad about our problem, totally in love with our idea of the truth and we'll refuse anyone who tries to logically talk us out of our actions. Logic, after all, is almost stoic. And if it means restraining our natural selves, then it must be bad! We are after all, made to be emotional.

And if our emotions run dry, and we refuse to end up in either camp, we may resort to Whateverism. Which means whatever floats your boat, or whatever just don't talk to me about your problem; I don't care. Whateverists believe no one really understands, or could understand, because the whateverist is such a unique individual that no one knows what its like to be in their shoes. They hide behind realism, stating that the world just is and can't be changed. Talking with a whateverist may feel like a dead end, because they don't want to be logical or emotional, they just want to be, and be left alone by those who aren't whateverists. Those naggers are after all, too cynical or too idealistic.

Which means we are all either cynical, idealistic, realistic, stoic, emotional or whateveristic. Which is an often boring way to live. If life is to be in motion, then fixing a mental state would stop motion, would it not?

Last week I walked. I know, shocked faces right? But in walking, as in intentional for an hour or more walking, I discovered something; walking feels really good. Not only that, but walking made my achy muscles feel better. There was something to the constant slow motion that rejuvenated my body. It's like my body need a slow consistent rhythm, instead of just fast followed by do nothing periods, to rebuild and heal. Slow movement. Not just fast movement, made me feel stronger.

I also discovered walking with someone else makes walking a whole lot easier. Which is somewhat counter-cultural to today's gym experience. A typical gym has become all about the self, unless you are partaking in group exercise, or working out with your mates. We individually stick our ear buds in and focus on what we're going to do. The rest of the world ceases to exist or matter. We become self-centered.

In the realm of spiritual disciplines, this is inward focused-ness is called mediation. In other words you can rock out, work out and be meditating at the same time. Why? Because meditation and working out take focus. The classical form of meditation is to quietly disengage from the senses and draw inward. The popular gym trend is the opposite, you overload the senses to feel and focus on what you feel and/or are trying to achieve. Two very different paths, yet they yield a similar result. Self-focus. But how much self-focus and self-centeredness is truly necessary?

As I found in my walking experiences, being self-centered sucks. There's too much space in my own head to get lost in. Too many ideas that don't have answers. Too much cross referencing and analyzing and comparing and contemplating. Even walking quietly and slowly by myself can be a mentally exhausting task! But walking with someone, that's a different game. It requires a shift in focus from the self to the group. How fast do we walk, how far do we go has already been determined, and the talking along the way makes the time pass and the body feel restored (so long as you don't over do it). Not only that but it refreshes the mind. Why? Because we get to share in someone else's thoughts. Suddenly it's not just about what I think, but how we think. And an outsiders perspective can safely challenge our beliefs and help us consider perspectives we hadn't thought of previously. You could do this while running, but its going to be hard to talk if you're moving too fast :)

How should we put this all together? What does it all mean without falling into relativity? It means we need perspectives outside our own. Even when it comes to the near and dear truths we hide in our hearts. Such is the challenge of community. Such is the challenge of believing in God.

Which is a turn off statement right? Belief in God. To some this is an antiquated and outdate belief from the caveman era. Which means its natural, right? Or perhaps too emotional, logical, cynical, ideological and just thinking about it makes you want to say 'whatever'. It hurts to think about. Because the idea of there being or not being a God is complicated. Even though some say its very simple.

But truth be told I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't ask you to walk about it. And don't walk alone. Find someone who knows something about God, and then walk with them about it. Not only will it do wonders for your health, it might just also introduce you to something you'd like to know more about. And whatever your stance is on the issue, you just might make a friend, get some exercise and learn about a perspective you didn't create.