:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 ::

Vitamins and Synergy

It continues to amaze me how many correlations there are between what we know about cellular health in the body and what the Fathers show us about the health of the soul. Consider the following quote from a pamphlet on about how vitamins work together:

"[Vitamins] work together-synergistically... Medical research separates these nutrients out and tries to study their individual effect. The amazing fact remains that the overwhelming majority of studies actually does show a health benefit with even an individual nutrient. However, since oxidative stress is the underlying problem we must concern ourselves with, it is important to realize that all of these nutrients work together-synergy."

Several months ago I wrote in this post about how funny it is to hear the same people who despise words like "tradition" or "authority" doing *exactly* what their medical doctors tell them without question, trusting in the authority and tradition of the doctor. We believe the pedigree of the earthly doctors who can cure our bodies--why do we look upon the spiritual doctors of the Church with such suspicion and hostility?

One reason we don't like the answers and advice the Church has to offer is that, just as in naturopathic health, the Church doesn't have a "magic bullet" solution for our problems. It takes a holistic lifestyle with continual repentance to bring reconciliation and wholeness. Brian D. McLaren has picked up on this truth when he asks,

"If Christianity isn't the quest for (or defense of) the perfect belief system ("the church of the last detail"), then what's left? In the emerging culture, I believe it will be "Christianity as a way of life," or "Christianity as a path of spiritual formation."

"The switch suggests a change in the questions people are asking. Instead of "How can I be right in my belief so I can go to heaven?" the new question seems to be, "How can we live life to the full so God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven?" (Props to Cory)

That last question is a great one. And, if we have the humility, we will see that the Church has much to say about it. In some cases, much more than we sometimes want to hear!

:: Karl :: 9:13:00 AM [Link] ::