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Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Umami: How a Fifth Taste Reminds Us of Our Deepest Desire.”

Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Umami: How a Fifth Taste Reminds Us of Our Deepest Desire.”

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

I Peter 2:1-3

honeyIt was long believed that we had four primary tastes that our tongues could detect: salty, sweet, bitter and sour. The best recipes from the best cooks were able to magically blend these four tastes into dishes which would make them more appealing to our taste buds. All of that has changed, however, since the discovery of a fifth taste called umami.  It was first identified by Kikunae Ikeda in Tokyo in the early 1900’s. He was struck by the distinctive flavor of seaweed broth. After working to isolate the actual molecule responsible for its flavor, he discovered it to be glutamate, which he called umami – a Japanese word for “delicious” or “savory.” It wasn’t until 1996 that University of Miami researchers officially labeled umami as our fifth taste. Since the research team published its findings in 2000, umami has seized the interest of other scientists, health professionals, food manufacturers and chefs around the world.

Even though it is typically found in many Asian foods, more recently chefs have begun adding this secret fifth taste to all kinds of dishes. Some report that it balances the flavors better while others say that umami, which can be found in a bottle of soy sauce, has the ability to boost them so that your palate fully experiences the pleasures of each ingredient. Many say it is an exotic flavor and find its qualities intriguing. One chef even developed a special umami-rich puree called “Taste No 5” which is available in a tube so that the average cook can begin experimenting at home.

Sweet, salty, bitter and sour and now umami. The buzz surrounding this fifth taste certainly indicates our curiosity over the possibility that something can be even better than what we have already sampled on our own tongues. We love foods and drinks that bring pleasure to our palate. When we taste something unusually yummy, the delight often spills out of our mouths in the form of groans or exclamations. We compare it to other fares and passionately describe the properties that set it apart.

You who have tasted of God know that there is no comparison. In a world full of people, possessions, pursuits and pleasures that compete for lordship in our lives, we have tasted what is very good. Nothing else will ever provide the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing God. Today, as you eat and drink and feel contentment, savor the only One who is good and whose words will forever taste “sweeter than honey” (Ps. 119:103).

Jackie

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,  and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

embraceThe sense of touch develops before all other senses in utero. Touch is the first way we learn about our environment and bond with other people. This sense never turns off or takes a break and continues to work long after other senses fail us as we age. We use our sense of touch to learn, protect ourselves from harm, relate to others, and experience pleasure. For decades researchers have studied how positive touch impacts our emotional and physical wellbeing. We now know that babies who are given affectionate touch are more likely to thrive physically, emotionally and mentally when compared with infants who are deprived of nurturing touch. We need to be touched in order to bond and adapt to the world around us.

Not surprisingly, the benefits of human touch are not just limited to children. The Touch Research Institute, an organization dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy, has conducted many different studies that show how human touch can decrease pain, improve pulmonary function, lower blood glucose levels, and improve immune function. Conversely, their studies indicate that there is a clear and quantifiable cost across the lifespan when we are deprived of nurturing touch for long periods of time.

I recently read an article about how technological advances are being used to help combat the problem of isolation and loneliness that is often experienced in certain populations like the elderly, disabled and the mentally ill. Many do not have caregivers or regular companions who can offer them the nurturing touch that will benefit them physically and emotionally. To help with this problem, several developers have created robot pets and even robot people. These mechanical creatures provide touch, make noises, talk and even respond appropriately to the person who is interacting with them.

While some may find these inventions rather fascinating, they greatly concern me. As our dependence on technology radically increases and we appear to grow more and more isolated from one another, is this what our future holds? While a robot may offer stimulation to a person seriously deprived of touch, neither can replace the power of nurturing touch in the context of human relationships. We long to touch and be touched by others because we were made for community. This begins at home with our own brood and extends toward extended family, neighbors and people around us who are lost, alone and disconnected from the fold. As you tune into this incredible sensation, allow God to use you to reflect His tenderness by being His hands and His feet in the lives of others.

Jackie

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Echolocation and the Gift of Sight.”

Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Echolocation and the Gift of Sight.”

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.  For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 13:16-17

blindFor those who are vision impaired, walking around an unfamiliar location typically requires them to depend on someone who can see. Once they make a mental map of a new location, they can then use a walking stick to help them get around. Even so, they still do not have the kind of freedom that comes with the ability to see.

Daniel Kisch was blind from the age of one but didn’t let his inability to see keep him from figuring out his way around. As a young boy, he realized that he could use echolocation to help him gain a sense of the space around him. By snapping the tip of his tongue against of the roof of his mouth he created a sharp popping sound. The sound waves that were produced then bounced off of objects, structures and people around him. As he analyzed the volume of the returning click, he was able to generate a reliable picture in his mind of the environment.

Daniel has become so proficient as this ability to echolocate, that he freely moves about. He rides a bike, climbs mountains, and even camps in the wilderness all by himself. Even though he is technically blind, echolocation allows him to picture what is around him in his mind.

Daniel now commits much of his time to helping other vision impaired people learn how to click and listen. Hundreds of children and adults can now see with their ears as they tune in to sound waves. As more and more people have gained this ability, scientists have been probing underlying brain activity to better understand what happens when they echolocate. It appears that while they are clicking and listening, there is quite a bit of activity in the visual cortex, the primary area in the brain that interprets visual information.

When compared to people who are not vision impaired, they actually appear to have more extensive activity in this “visual” region of the brain. Even though they cannot see like you and me, they are able to create complex pictures, images, and maps in their mind based solely on the auditory feedback they receive. Perhaps, they can even see what we will never see.

To see without eyes. Can you imagine the freedom blind people can have if they can learn this skill? Perhaps, we can—for this is our story, too. We who were once blind have been granted the ability to see the “light of the glory of the gospel” (2 Cor. 4:4). This did not happen, however, by anything that we accomplished or acquired. God himself opened up our eyes and delivered us from a spiritual blindness that shackled us and kept us isolated from the life He has for us.

As you navigate your way through this day, delight in the miracle of being able to see yourself, others, and the world around you with your Father’s eyes.

Jackie