Holy Rewired - "A Community of Editors"

Rather than finish this book this week, I've decided to complete it next week instead and not cut the last two chapters short. So this week we'll cover the chapter related to the role of community in the rewiring of our brain (as it affects change of behavior).

In this chapter, Phillips presents scientifically what we know instinctively about the importance of those with whom we are in community. For the sake of brevity, I'll give a couple of summary bullet points:

1. Our brain's design is social; we are wired for social interaction which plays a role in "reshaping our brain through neuroplasticity....'our key relationships can gradually mold certain neural circuitry...being chronically hurt and angered, or being emotionally nourished, by someone we spend time with daily over the course of years can refashion our brain.' By refashioning our brain, we refashion our behavior."

2. Systems called mirror neurons have been found in the human brain. "They reflect back an action we observe in someone else...Mirror neurons are adjacent to the motor neurons", which means that "'the areas of the brain that initiate a movement can readily begin to activate even as we watch someone else make that same movement.'...Therefore, mirror neurons are what make emotions contagious. They ensure that generally, 'the moment someone sees an emotion expressed' on a face, that person will at once sense that same feeling within himself or herself."

The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians to be careful about who they allowed to influence them, saying that "'bad company corrupts good character.' Paul understood intuitively what science is now teaching us: we act and feel like those we watch and observe. Through mirror neurons, we begin to construct neural scaffolding upon which our behaviors are wired and modeled."

(A personal insert here before finishing the chapter: as I was reading this, I was also reminded that the Holy Spirit in Paul shows His understanding of this reality in II Cor. 3:18 where He says that as we "behold" (look intently at) the beauty and glory of Jesus, we are being transformed into His image, becoming like Him. Applying what Phillips says, we could understand then that as we gaze/meditate on Jesus, His nature and character, we are bit by bit made like Him.
I believe that one of the most effective means of emotional healing in these days will be through studying/meditating on God's emotional makeup, understanding His emotions and, through contemplating them, being made whole like He is.)

The author takes some time to show the damage that has been done to modern society because of the general loss of community. He then concludes this chapter by saying, "...the loss of community has detrimental effects both socially and individually. When our relationships decline and deep interactions are reduced, we have limited a powerful piece of the behavioral change process. We lack mentors who can model behaviors for us. We lack those who could share with the wisdom that comes from age and experience. We do not have people in place who can help us work through our emotions. We have limited resources to help edit our lives into the image of Christ. Since the environments in which we grow up and the environments in which we live provide experiences that are ingrained within us, we need to reconsider the environments and communities that we participate in. Changing behavior may require us to change communities... Changing communities will influence our identity...

"The community challenges those on the journey together, creating a support structure for encouragement and reward. It also provides another function. The practices embedded in the community shape the identities of those who participate...The person is re-formed through the community, resulting in a new identity.

"A life holy rewired, therefore, has us finding our identity in a Christ-shaped community whose practices help shape us into a reflection of the image of Christ."