A Primal Thought: Holy Curiosity

By Mark Batterson, Christian Post Guest Columnist Monday, January 04, 2010

On a grand scale, the brain consists of two hemispheres connected by approximately 300 million nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. Think of the two hemispheres of the brain as parallel processors. They certainly overlap in function. And this is a gross simplification of something that is divinely complex, but the left brain is linear and logical, while the right brain is intuitive and creative.

Neurologists have also mapped regions and sub-regions responsible for a variety of neurological functions. The auditory cortex, for example, processes sound waves that hit the eardrum and translate them into intelligible language. The amygdala helps us process a vast array of emotions. The motor cortex choreographs our muscle movements. And the medial ventral prefrontal cortex is the seat of humor. So whether you're humming a hit from the eighties, interpreting facial expressions, swinging a baseball bat, or solving a sudoku, a unique part of the brain is responsible for performing each of those nuanced actions.

So what does all of that have to do with the Great Commandment? You might be tempted to think the answer is nothing. But if we interpret the Great Commandment literally, and we should, then the answer is everything. Loving God with half your mind isn't good enough. Being half-minded is no better than being half-hearted. God wants to sanctify every part of your mind for His purposes: sanctified logic, sanctified intuition, sanctified imagination, even a sanctified sense of humor. The word all is all-inclusive.

Adapted from Mark Batterson's new book, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, released by Multnomah Publishers. To download a sample chapter, visit www.theprimalmovement.com.