A Little Anthropology

Hebrews 10:24 -- "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

image: izquotes.com

A few butterflies let loose in my stomach when the school bell rang as excitement churned its way through my system. One of the advantages of being a Senior at Faith Academy was that most of the typical mandatory academic classes were already under my belt, and I was aloud to choose some less mundane courses to wrap up my grade-school career. The class coming up was one of my favorites - Anthropology.

One might think that what was considered to be a college level class would be a little intimidating to a high school student - but in fact, I made some of the highest grades I've ever received in that class. I couldn't get enough of it. There is just no end to the fascination I feel when studying human behavior and the vast number of intriguing cultures.

In the mid to late 1950's one of the most famous of anthropologists, Margaret Mead, was approached by one of her students with this question: What do you consider to be the first sign of civilization in any culture? Her answer surprised many - she said: A human femur that has been broken and then healed.

Really? I would be looking for simple tools, pottery, perhaps art work or toiletries. But no, Margaret Mead said she felt it was the human thigh bone.

Why on earth would she think that?

Margaret went on to explain that in the animal kingdom - if you break your leg, you die. It's that simple. A healed human femur indicates that the injury was cared for and looked after for a lengthy amount of time. This meant that the person with the broken leg had a community. He/she had friends or family that were willing to slow down long enough to care for the sick. That meant keeping the injured person immobile, setting the broken bone well enough that it could heal, and then making sure the invalid had food, shelter, and warmth. To Margaret's way of thinking - helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts.

THAT makes sense!

Hebrews 10:24 asks us to consider HOW we can spur each other on. Does that mean we should ask ourselves what we can do to help our injured or sick? Does it mean encouraging a friend who's hit a rough spot in his/her life? Does it mean doing all we can to encourage growth and strength in our fellow human being?

I think it means all of those things. AND - I think that whatever we can do to instill healing and growth in another - no matter how small our action might seem - has a far reaching impact. Like Margaret Mead's healed broken femur findings ... you can tell a lot about a person/culture by its community spirit.

What will future anthropologists find about our civilization/culture? Do we spur one another on toward love and good deeds? Do we love? Do we heal? Do we help?

I hope that there is evidence of these things in me -- it would mean that my actions reflect the love and grace of Jesus Christ. What better thing could be said of any culture?