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The Definition of Insanity


Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19a – “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

There is a famous phrase that comes out of the “twelve-step” addiction movements: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Through this phrase, those controlled by addiction and those who love them and want them to overcome their problems are advised to try new approaches when old methods no longer work.

I am reminded of the myth of Sisyphus from Greek mythology. Sisyphus was a cruel and crafty king who used his wiles to thwart his opponents, the gods, and even death itself on several occasions. Sisyphus thought this his schemes could overcome every obstacle. When Zeus finally got Sisyphus’ death to stick, he punished him by forcing his to roll a massive boulder up a hill every day, only for it to slip back to the bottom every time. Zeus proved that all the brain power in the world is not enough to overcome an impossible task.

Like Sisyphus, we may feel forced to toil and suffer to make the world a better place, only for those efforts to be repeatedly undone effortlessly by others, reverting to a world where selfishness and greed always benefit. Since the times of the earliest prophets, there have been cries to obey God’s will for justice rather than one’s own fears and desires, but people keep falling back into the same patterns. The ball keeps rolling back down. And it seems insane to keep trying the same thing and expecting different results. Our failures seem inevitable and unchanging.

We see our God as unchanging as well, but that does mean that God has nothing new to add to our lives. Where human imagination fails, God will provide new solutions to old problems – if we actually listen to what God is trying to tell us. The prophet wrote in the Book of Isaiah, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing.” The original context was hope of freedom from exile, but the prophet’s words go beyond their original usage. Wherever there is injustice and suffering, wherever our efforts seem pointless in the face of indifference, God is there, telling us that new things are possible, and that justice and love can be a reality if we only listen and try to approach our lives in new ways. It is the only cure for insanity there is.

Prayer: Lord, give us the patience to endure the tedium and disappointments of life. Help us to listen your words for us, pointing us toward the new things you are doing for us and for our broken world. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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