Mind Games

“Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word to you, but your very life…” ESV Deuteronomy 32:46-47.

It isn’t often that I’m tempted into a theater but, after reading reviews and hearing comments about Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, curiosity got the best of me this past weekend. I won’t ruin the movie for you, but it highlighted the power of a thought and plumbed the (fictional) depths of a thought’s beginnings. It was a mind-bender of a story that unfolded in a world where dreams and human imagination are indistinguishable from reality. But then again, what is reality?

What is reality? The question is not a recent one. It’s been asked over and over throughout the ages. John Locke (1632-1704), a British philosopher, proposed that the mind was like a blank sheet of paper that could only be filled through experience. Locke’s hypothesis would lead one to conclude that reality was very much an individualistic phenomenon. Even earlier, Plato (427-347 BC), though not quite so individualistic in his thought, proposed that visual perception (shadows in his example) represented reality. In Plato’s world, reality was circumstantial and dependent on one’s vantage point. Both ideas are dangerous. (reference: Looking at Philosophy, third edition, by Donald Palmer.)

Remember the old television commercial with the tag line “Is it real or is it Memorex?” ? For those of you without gray hair, the commercial was refers to an ancient recording media known as “tape.” The theoretical challenge was to listen to a sound and determine whether it was authentic or pre-recorded. Was the sound “reality” or was it a representation or a shadow of reality?

Moses had a firm grip on reality; he didn’t dance with shadowy thoughts. As you read Moses’ final words to his people, it’s obvious that Moses wanted to be sure that the nation knew and passed on truth; that they grasped reality. Moses knew that grasping the truth of God’s word was not a thing to be trifled with. He knew that false doctrines, warped ideas, and creative thinking would come their way. He knew that they would encounter idols. He knew that their children would be especially vulnerable to strange teachings. He knew that the mind was prone to wander. That’s why he went so far as to exhort the people that their very lives and the lives of their children depended on them understanding God’s word; reality.

Now, I propose to you that the warning of Moses is no less dire today. The mind is creative, mind games abound, and our thoughts carry a curious influence over our concept of reality. Don’t be deceived and don’t let your family be deceived. Avoid foolish, shadowy thoughts and grasp hold of the truth of God’s word. Grasp hold of reality—your very life depends on it.