Print or Email

TheDiscipleMD

The famous poet T.S Eliot wrote: “The trilling wire in the blood/sings below inveterate scars/appeasing long-forgotten wars.” (“Four Quartets”) Many of the great poets of our time, write in ways that are hard to comprehend. Often their poems are written with hidden meanings and messages. No one knows for sure what Mr. Eliot meant when he used the bizarre term “wire in the blood”, but some have speculated that it metaphorically means that something “impure or unusual” is flowing in the blood of someone. Others have thought that it is simply referring to the “thrill of adrenaline” flowing through the bloodstream, giving it renewed life. I guess terms such as “wire in the blood” hold our attention because the words are simple, but their meaning can be very complex. A long running British television drama series was named after that phrase, interpreting it in a diabolical way.

I have pondered that phrase, and its potential meaning and it’s application to my life. I interpret that phrase in a much more positive way. The disciples of Jesus Christ have in a most unusual way, “wire in the blood”. Not literally, of course, but metaphorically we do. Each week we partake of the sacrament of the bread and water, which represent the flesh and blood of the Savior. When He walked the earth He preached:

“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day…He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” (John 6:53-54,56)

Every Sunday, through the Sacrament, we should, in a way, be getting a shot of spiritual “adrenaline”, which gives rejuvenation, meaning and purpose to our lives. This rejuvenation comes from the spirit of God and it compels us forward, even through hard times. It is our spiritual “wire in the blood”, so to speak! However, this “rejuvenation” only comes based on our commitment to “always remember” Christ and the sacrifice he has made on our behalf. The other half of the sacramental prayer commits us to obedience to the commandments so that his spirit might always be with us.

When each of us entered this life through birth, we inherited its companion; death, and all that comes withit,  which include all that is good in this life, and also all that is bad. However, our Father has provided a manner by which we can receive strength and power to overcome difficult times. He instituted the Sacrament so that we could weekly partake of His spirit, which provids us with the nourishment necessary to go forward day by day. The Sacrament is the Lord’s way of giving us a consistent opportunity to get a little “wire in the blood”, thus sustaining us until we can gain eternal life.

May we avail ourselves the opportunity to receive the Lord’s help through the Sacramental ordinance by, not only partaking, but pondering and asking for the spirit to be with us. In so doing we will feel the spiritual ‘wire in the blood’that God gives to all those who truly love and keep His commandments.