I want to start out this morning with a basic lesson on the brain--trust me it does have something to do with our reading from Genesis this morning. I promise this will be a very basic and generalized lesson, as I am in no way shape or form a neuro-expert.
Basically our brains are made up of different parts. The cerebrum is the largest part of our brain and it is where all of the higher brain functions occur. The neo-cortex is the highest level of our brain. It is what makes us human. Other mammals have neo-cortexes, but none have one like ours. Our neo-cortexes are not necessarily bigger than all other animals (think whales for example), but the ratio of the size of our neo-cortex to our total body mass is much greater.
So why does this matter? Well, the neo-cortex is involved in the higher brain functions such as sensory perception (understanding what we take in through our senses), spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and language. The neo-cortex is the thinking brain. It has executive function over the two other more instinctive or reactive parts of our brains. It is also the last part of our brain to evolve and it is the part of our brain that shuts down first when we perceive that we are in danger. Think about it for a moment, if a lion is about to eat you, you don't really want to take time to think about your different options. You want to run. You want to respond automatically and instinctively.
So what are the other two parts of our brains? Beneath the neo-cortex is the limbic system. This is our feeling brain. All feelings and emotions come from this part of our brains, and this part of our brain is also important in the formation of memory. The amygdala is the part of the limbic system that is most important to this discussion. It is the part of our brain that kicks into gear when we are being attacked by a lion. It is referred to by some as the "reptilian brain." Reptiles do not possess a neocortex, but they do have a very well-functioning amygdala. All parts of our brain are important and necessary. You and I would probably not be sitting here today, if we did not possess a reptilian brain. We might not be chased by lions, tigers or bears on a regular basis, but we do face danger. That time when you were almost hit by another car but managed to swerve just in time--thank your reptilian brain. That great feeling of happiness you had when you watched your child dance in her first dance recital--thank your limbic system. Your ability to remember that recital even though your child is now 45--thank your limbic system. We would not be who we are without all parts of our brains.
Unfortunately, however, there are many other times when our amygdala and other parts of our limbic system take over our neo-cortex, when it isn't really necessary, when it fact it might actually be harmful. Think about the last fight you had with your spouse or your child. What happened to you as you got more and more angry? Were you able to really reason in a rational way any more? In a time of emotional arousal, it takes quite a lot of intentional effort to take a deep breath and to allow ourselves the space and time to let our neo-cortex make the decisions. But if you think about it, our ability to do this is what makes us human. My cat cannot choose to take a breath and calm himself down--if you don't believe me, just come with me when I take him to the vet.
So, you may well be asking yourself right now, what on earth does this have to do with our reading from Genesis this morning? Well, our story this morning is a story about hospitality. It is a story about welcoming the stranger in our midst. It is a very familiar story for most of us, so we may easily miss the unusualness of what happens in this passage.
We have Abraham and Sarah in the desert. Abraham is sitting at the entrance to his tent, and he looks up and he sees three men standing near him. Now, the normal human response to suddenly seeing three strange men standing near is fear. The presence of strangers in our midst usually evokes hostility and suspicion. Strangers are unpredictable. We don't know what a stranger will do. The amygdala kicks into action. If you want an example of this, you only have to look at the next chapter in the book of Genesis, chapter 19, where the story of Sodom is told. That story is the opposite of the one we heard about Abraham and Sarah this morning. In that story, Lot does welcome strangers into his home and the people of Sodom surround his house in order to kill them.
Now, I hope that no one here has tried to kill a stranger, but I do think if we are honest with ourselves we will agree, that often when in the presence of someone we have never met, we respond with reserve. Most of us, if left to our own devices prefer to be with people we know, or if we can't always be with people we know, then at least with people who are very similar to us in appearance, behavior, and thinking.
We do this all the time in churches. Every church I have ever known considers itself to be welcoming and friendly. I have never yet heard a faith community describe itself as reserved, suspicious and unwelcoming. And most churches I have known are friendly and welcoming to a point. Most will easily and readily welcome the stranger who is similar to them. Most will gladly be open to the newcomer who looks like one of them, but most do not even see the newcomer who walks through the doors who is very different from the average member. Or some congregations are welcoming on the surface, but if the newcomer brings ideas that are very different from the prevailing ideas present in the community--then watch out. This is all understandable and all normal. It is simply our amygdala trying to protect us from danger.
But the thing is, Scripture is constantly challenging us to move beyond our limbic reactions. Scripture, again and again, calls us to move into our neo-cortexes, that we might behave in a truly human way rather than as an animal would behave. Abraham and Sarah are held up to us as models of what we are to do when we have a stranger in our midst. The people of Sodom are held up as models of what we are not to do with strangers in our midst. Both are extreme, but sometimes we need the extreme to understand the point. God is challenging us to be fully human. But how do we get there? How do we move beyond our automatic responses?
Well, I think the first step is to recognize that we have these automatic responses. You can't stop, take a breath and choose to engage your neo-cortex, if you don't know that you need to do so. Hospitality, welcoming the stranger, setting aside your automatic fight or flight response takes work. Hospitality is an attitude that must be cultivated. So, the next time you find yourself meeting a stranger, take a breath and become aware of your reaction. See if you can create just a little more openness in yourself toward this new person.
Another thing you can do is to take monthly "cultural plunges." A couple of years ago I took a course in multicultural counseling. One of our assignments was to intentionally put ourselves in a place we would not normally go, at least 3 times during the semester. I went to the Sikh Temple, a Pentecostal Church, and Mosque. The idea behind this assignment is that the more you are in the presence of those who you would normally consider different from yourself, the more you will realize that people are more alike than they are different, and the less you will fear those who are new to you.
Being welcoming, being hospitable requires a willingness to create an empty open space into which strangers can come and find themselves a home. Being hospitable requires us to move beyond the initial reactions of our limbic system. And being hospitable is what we are called to do and to be by God.
So take a risk! Try it out! I promise you wont' regret it. You will find yourself in the presence of people you might never have known otherwise. You will find yourself stretched and in that stretching you will find a richer and deeper life. You will find blessings you did not know were there waiting for you.
I leave you with the wise words from Hebrews 13:2:
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Basically our brains are made up of different parts. The cerebrum is the largest part of our brain and it is where all of the higher brain functions occur. The neo-cortex is the highest level of our brain. It is what makes us human. Other mammals have neo-cortexes, but none have one like ours. Our neo-cortexes are not necessarily bigger than all other animals (think whales for example), but the ratio of the size of our neo-cortex to our total body mass is much greater.
So why does this matter? Well, the neo-cortex is involved in the higher brain functions such as sensory perception (understanding what we take in through our senses), spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and language. The neo-cortex is the thinking brain. It has executive function over the two other more instinctive or reactive parts of our brains. It is also the last part of our brain to evolve and it is the part of our brain that shuts down first when we perceive that we are in danger. Think about it for a moment, if a lion is about to eat you, you don't really want to take time to think about your different options. You want to run. You want to respond automatically and instinctively.
So what are the other two parts of our brains? Beneath the neo-cortex is the limbic system. This is our feeling brain. All feelings and emotions come from this part of our brains, and this part of our brain is also important in the formation of memory. The amygdala is the part of the limbic system that is most important to this discussion. It is the part of our brain that kicks into gear when we are being attacked by a lion. It is referred to by some as the "reptilian brain." Reptiles do not possess a neocortex, but they do have a very well-functioning amygdala. All parts of our brain are important and necessary. You and I would probably not be sitting here today, if we did not possess a reptilian brain. We might not be chased by lions, tigers or bears on a regular basis, but we do face danger. That time when you were almost hit by another car but managed to swerve just in time--thank your reptilian brain. That great feeling of happiness you had when you watched your child dance in her first dance recital--thank your limbic system. Your ability to remember that recital even though your child is now 45--thank your limbic system. We would not be who we are without all parts of our brains.
Unfortunately, however, there are many other times when our amygdala and other parts of our limbic system take over our neo-cortex, when it isn't really necessary, when it fact it might actually be harmful. Think about the last fight you had with your spouse or your child. What happened to you as you got more and more angry? Were you able to really reason in a rational way any more? In a time of emotional arousal, it takes quite a lot of intentional effort to take a deep breath and to allow ourselves the space and time to let our neo-cortex make the decisions. But if you think about it, our ability to do this is what makes us human. My cat cannot choose to take a breath and calm himself down--if you don't believe me, just come with me when I take him to the vet.
So, you may well be asking yourself right now, what on earth does this have to do with our reading from Genesis this morning? Well, our story this morning is a story about hospitality. It is a story about welcoming the stranger in our midst. It is a very familiar story for most of us, so we may easily miss the unusualness of what happens in this passage.
We have Abraham and Sarah in the desert. Abraham is sitting at the entrance to his tent, and he looks up and he sees three men standing near him. Now, the normal human response to suddenly seeing three strange men standing near is fear. The presence of strangers in our midst usually evokes hostility and suspicion. Strangers are unpredictable. We don't know what a stranger will do. The amygdala kicks into action. If you want an example of this, you only have to look at the next chapter in the book of Genesis, chapter 19, where the story of Sodom is told. That story is the opposite of the one we heard about Abraham and Sarah this morning. In that story, Lot does welcome strangers into his home and the people of Sodom surround his house in order to kill them.
Now, I hope that no one here has tried to kill a stranger, but I do think if we are honest with ourselves we will agree, that often when in the presence of someone we have never met, we respond with reserve. Most of us, if left to our own devices prefer to be with people we know, or if we can't always be with people we know, then at least with people who are very similar to us in appearance, behavior, and thinking.
We do this all the time in churches. Every church I have ever known considers itself to be welcoming and friendly. I have never yet heard a faith community describe itself as reserved, suspicious and unwelcoming. And most churches I have known are friendly and welcoming to a point. Most will easily and readily welcome the stranger who is similar to them. Most will gladly be open to the newcomer who looks like one of them, but most do not even see the newcomer who walks through the doors who is very different from the average member. Or some congregations are welcoming on the surface, but if the newcomer brings ideas that are very different from the prevailing ideas present in the community--then watch out. This is all understandable and all normal. It is simply our amygdala trying to protect us from danger.
But the thing is, Scripture is constantly challenging us to move beyond our limbic reactions. Scripture, again and again, calls us to move into our neo-cortexes, that we might behave in a truly human way rather than as an animal would behave. Abraham and Sarah are held up to us as models of what we are to do when we have a stranger in our midst. The people of Sodom are held up as models of what we are not to do with strangers in our midst. Both are extreme, but sometimes we need the extreme to understand the point. God is challenging us to be fully human. But how do we get there? How do we move beyond our automatic responses?
Well, I think the first step is to recognize that we have these automatic responses. You can't stop, take a breath and choose to engage your neo-cortex, if you don't know that you need to do so. Hospitality, welcoming the stranger, setting aside your automatic fight or flight response takes work. Hospitality is an attitude that must be cultivated. So, the next time you find yourself meeting a stranger, take a breath and become aware of your reaction. See if you can create just a little more openness in yourself toward this new person.
Another thing you can do is to take monthly "cultural plunges." A couple of years ago I took a course in multicultural counseling. One of our assignments was to intentionally put ourselves in a place we would not normally go, at least 3 times during the semester. I went to the Sikh Temple, a Pentecostal Church, and Mosque. The idea behind this assignment is that the more you are in the presence of those who you would normally consider different from yourself, the more you will realize that people are more alike than they are different, and the less you will fear those who are new to you.
Being welcoming, being hospitable requires a willingness to create an empty open space into which strangers can come and find themselves a home. Being hospitable requires us to move beyond the initial reactions of our limbic system. And being hospitable is what we are called to do and to be by God.
So take a risk! Try it out! I promise you wont' regret it. You will find yourself in the presence of people you might never have known otherwise. You will find yourself stretched and in that stretching you will find a richer and deeper life. You will find blessings you did not know were there waiting for you.
I leave you with the wise words from Hebrews 13:2:
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."