waking up to the water: An Intro.

"What the hell is water?" 
Photo: Thinkcreateart.com 2011, Wordpress

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?" - David Foster Wallace in "This is Water" 

One of the most memorable classroom lessons that I have taught so far this school year was the concept of "the Rhetorical Triangle (RT) ". The RT outlines Aristotle's rhetorical system, which offers the basic connections between a speaker, her message, and the audience. This simple (or not) notion happens to fit nicely into the shape of a triangle. To keep it interesting, I introduced this lesson by presenting a video titled "This is Water".

"This is Water" is the title of a speech given by the late great David Foster Wallace as a commencement speech. Needless to say, the message of this piece deeply impacted my students and I. In his address, Wallace asserts that awareness is what separates the truly educated from the "walking dead". He claims that many adults are walking around on a "default setting", unaware of their surroundings or the impact they have therein.

And this is what got me thinking.  At many junctures in my life, I have been that "younger fish", supremely unaware that "this is water."

This work of rhetorical genius melted all my thoughts about God, church, people, life, my gifts, and my calling into three simple, yet profound words: "this is water". They means so much. "This is water" means to wake up, take a look around, be aware, smell the roses, and get educated. Instead of circling around inside my own head with both eyes shut, I can choose to open my eyes and gaze at the bigger picture, look up at the stars, taking in the sights, sounds, Divine image-bearers, and wonders of the world around me. But it starts with the simple yet profound realization, that hey..."this is water."

Studying at an ecumenical Christian Seminary (GO HGST!) has caused me to entertain awareness, while still being so afraid to get my hands and feet dirty. Yet and still, I embrace this fear with dignity and longing. I will admit, I had to stop reading the Bible, to actually begin reading the Bible (more details later). What once was flat, became not only round, but rugged and often jagged...I began to realize that "this is water." I am currently on a path that recognizes there is a grappling, and a persistent struggle with truth, and an awkward discovery that "this is water." It is devoid of certainty. To experience life, to love, to suffer, to work, to play, and to have faith, is to have countless opportunities to engage and to become increasingly aware. To be present in the world sensitive to the living, and yet somehow strengthened by that sensitivity.

A fellow blogger and professor at Abilene Christian University, Richard Beck once said, that "we all believe things we don't think we believe until it's pointed out to us." Sometimes we need someone to point out those obvious unknowns (yup), and we are met with a shocking moment (or moments) of awareness. Sometimes we are the ones who need to do the pointing.

Such awareness is beckoning me into a more empathetic and holistic approach to my life and to the lives of others. Such awareness requires a sensitivity to humanity, which I have yet to fully understand. This is the meaning of sensitive skin. Garnering a sense of awareness which leads to empathy. Empathy is the cornerstone of true education, morality, faith, religion, and life, and as a Jesus-follower, empathy is a character trait that I am called to exude.

Therefore, this is my place to wake up and share by saying, "hey guys, this is water." Here at sensitive skin, I hope to engage topics that build awareness, increase empathy, while gently merging society and theology in a way that fosters redemptive speaking, living, and dwelling in communities. Hopefully this creates a safe space for healthy sensitivity, which I think develops stronger, more mature, and more educated individuals and communities.

find your water.