Community: Grey's Anatomy

"Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired. We are scared. Denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world, head on, guns blazing. Denial, its not just a river in egypt, it’s an ocean. So how will you keep from drowning in it?"

Grey's Anatomy is a show I began watching about half-way through the season last year. I have found the script/characters to be mildly interesting but the monologue after each episode is usually provocative. The quote mentioned above is one that was used last week as Grey reflects on the events of the day. There are several little dramas going on during this episode but one was particularly exposed by her reflections. One of the budding physicians has recently discovered she was pregnant but not before her lover (attending physician) broke up with her. Rather than tell him about the baby, she decides to have an abortion and keep it to herself. However, before she can follow through with the abotion she passes out and has to go into emergecny surgery. The baby dies but she will recover quickly, in the physical realm at least. After several hours of her coming out of surgery, she begins to try and busy herself with work in an effort to bury her pain but to no avail. Eventually, she is overcome by the loss of her child, a feeling of abandonment from her lover, and the conflict within of her wanting to abort the child. Here is the scene that I revealed her humanity best: she is in bed weeping uncontrollably. Her friends try to console her but are unsuccessful. Her mother attempts to comfort her but eventually gives up. Then her lover enters the room just before he heads home for the day. He is dressed nicely and has a jacket. As he enters, her mother says "She doesn't want anyone to touch her." in a condescending and prohibitve tone. And yet, he looks at the mother and then to his former-lover and you see his concern and desire to comfort her. He takes off his coat, scoots along side her, and holds her as she weeps and seemingly mourns the loss of her child. For the first time, you see her humanity and the reality that she has been trying to pretend was not real. The reality of her need for community.

If we are honest, none of us like the idea of being a loner. It is a bit romantic at first to have complete control over all your time, with only your appetite to guide you but we are not designed for this. We may try to pursue such a lifestyle but in the end we will be curled up in the sheets of longing. I am preaching over Colossians 2:1-5 this week and Paul models this kind of passionate concern for others so beautifully. Without preaching a sermon, let me just say that if you read that passage you see just how necessary it is for our own soul's health to be part of the covenant community. Church is not just a side kind of issue, it is the place where we see ourselves and others transformed. Denial is a powerfully destrucitve force that you may be able to rely upon for a season but it never satsifies the spirit. As Jamie and I have walked with William through his illness, we have lost the pleasure of being able to cope with the instrument of denial. Even as I write, William is in the hospital recovering from a surgery on his foot that is infected. I cannot imagine this joureny without the power of Christ in me and in the community that God has placed us in. They have literally been life-blood for us. So consider where and how community is part of your life. Or, I guess the question as Grey put it is, "The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired. We are scared. Denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world, head on, guns blazing. Denial, its not just a river in egypt, it’s an ocean. So how will you keep from drowning in it?"