Moth eaten Spirituality….

Moth eaten appearance is classically defined for Bone Tumors in X-rays and is described as “Areas of destruction with ragged borders”. This sign in X-ray implies more rapid growth of probably a malignancy. The common bone tumors which have such appearance are Myelomas, Metastases, Lymphoma and Ewing’s sarcoma. In Medicine, this is dangerous – the signs denote a rapidly advancing Malignant Lesion, which could potentially reduce your life span.

The literal meaning is - Eaten away by moth larvae or Old and timeworn: or Shabby; decrepit.

In 1965 in a lab a mutation of mice occurred,. The  affected  mice  could  be  recognized  at  3  or  4  days of  age  by  patchy  absence  of  pigment  in  the  skin, and  later  by  patchy  absence  or  thinness  of  hair  that gave  the  mice  a  moth-eaten  appearance. By  3  weeks  of  age,  lesions  usually  developed  on  the feet and progressed  rapidly. Mortality of affected  animals was  high  from  birth  onward,  and  none  survived  longer than 8  weeks because of the associated Immuno deficiency.  

In Humans also we get such Moth eaten appearance of hair in people with “Alopecia aereata though this is not associated with Immuno-deficiency and is benign…

What does these have to do with each other – One which is a “life threatening” “rapidly progressive” Malignancy and the other a benign loss of hair….

Moth Eaten Spirituality is defined as “spirituality in patches” – some areas good hair growth, other areas bald or some areas destroyed by tumor, other areas normal…No so uncommon in our lives…one day up other day down…or described by some as “saw toothed spirituality”….Though I prefer the Moth eaten phrase…

The challenge is to identify the malignant from the benign patch…

Jonah was a good example of Moth eaten Spirituality – He had both Benign and malignant patches – 

Malignant which almost took his life, benign which ended up being rebuked by God….

One to whom Gods word came – spiritual high; Ran away from the word – bald patch rather “Malignant” – ended up inside a Whale’s tummy!; Returned back to the road – good turn around; Taught the word, people repented – good patch; Angry enough to die because God saved Ninevites – (if I was God – it would have been Malignant patch;) Cries over a plant which dries up and the worm which caused it – bald patch (benign possibly)…..

But interesting and assuring thing  is – God fulfilled his purposes despite the “Patchy spirituality” – Ship workers came to the Lord, Ninevites came to the Lord, though Jonah lost quite a bit of sleep over these (he already had finished his quota of sleep in the basement of the ship any way)….

But better is to have uniform growth of hair and not bald patches or “tumors”….even if some patches are there, one can be assured, that God will fulfill his purposes, though we might lose some sleep!....