It’s a matter of caring for your soul

On Sept. 29, 1966, television viewers tuned in to the fourth episode of a brand-new series called Star Trek.

“The Naked Time” found the crew of the starship Enterprise on the dying planet Psi2000, searching for a scientific research team on the frozen surface. Finding the scientists have all mysteriously died, the crew prepares to leave before the implosion of the planet, but not before Joe, a particularly careless member of the away team, removes a glove; first to scratch his nose, then to stick his finger in an unknown liquid.

Joe’s newfound virus spreads fast, and when transmitted to the familiar characters of the Enterprise, it soon reveals its nature. After a bit of sweating and itching, the disease removes the inhibitions reasonable people place upon their emotions. Infected, Lt. Sulu becomes a shirtless, rapier-brandishing maniac. Nurse Chapel declares her smouldering love for Mr. Spock, and a poorly groomed crewman named Riley adopts a bad Irish accent, locks himself in the control room and sets the ship on a 20-minute long death spiral toward the planet.

Even the logical Spock is not immune, weeping furiously. He addresses his captain, James Kirk, who is the definition of an emotionally decisive leader. “Understand, Jim,” Spock says as they work to save their lives, “I’ve spent a whole lifetime learning to hide my feelings.”

Many have been hurt in this life. We learn to guard ourselves and become really skilled at wearing masks. We hide our inner self from others. Like Spock, we practice hiding our feelings in an effort not to be hurt. Many won’t risk that their real self becomes known out of fear of possible rejection.

We can become quite proficient at offering an image of ourselves that does not accurately reflect what’s going on inside of us.

This often results in a person becoming emotionally unhealthy. We become fatigued, emotionally drained and struggling.

Writer Lance Witt states, “We are facing soul challenges.”

We all have a front stage life and a back stage life. The front stage is about doing. The back stage is about being.

Mr. Witt suggests the two are connected. If the back stage is neglected; eventually the front stage will fall apart.

The key to the Christian life is found backstage.

Jesus taught that the root determines the fruit (paraphrased). In other words, a healthy heart and soul allows us to be replenished. Our backstage (hidden) is going to determine the direction and success of our front stage (public).

Guarding, hiding, and fearing all take a tremendous amount of effort.

Living a life of past or current hurt is frustrating and joyless.

These are not the ways in which Jesus wants us to live. Revealing our struggles and asking for help can feel risky – often because it is. One of the practices of early Wesleyan bands (small groups) was that they would ask each other, “How is your soul?” That is a back stage question.

Finding a space where you can ask and be asked a similar question can begin a journey towards back stage wellness.

Who you are (front stage and back stage) are both important to being emotionally healthy. But just as you tend your body to be physically healthy, you must tend your soul if you want to be spiritually healthy.

It is possible to have a healthy soul. God will always choose to assist people who humbly seek Him in an effort to be healthy.

Mother Teresa once said, “To keep a lamp burning, we have to put oil in it.”