Compartment Syndrome

Have you ever broken an arm or leg, or suffered a penetrating injury to an extremity? While an injury (also called an insult in the trauma department) might be painful, often the complications are worse than the injury itself. Infection, malalignment and scarring are some potentially serious problems, but one of the worst situations that can develop is called Compartment Syndrome.

Essentially, Compartment Syndrome results from the accumulation of pressure (usually to an extremity) following an insult to body tissues. It’s basically the inability of the body to maintain an even distribution of blood, fluid and pressure throughout the extremity. Everything accumulates in one ‘compartment’ or area, without being able to move freely to other areas of the effected limb. As the condition worsens, blood flow is impaired and can even be stopped. This starts a chain reaction of more inflammation, increased swelling and less blood flow – leading to increasing injury. This starts a downward spiral which will quickly get out of control. Without properly recognizing Compartment Syndrome and addressing the issue quickly, this untreated condition can lead to amputation and even death.

Life contains many examples of principles we can apply to either help or hinder what happens to us. If we think about them long enough we can gain a lot of insight into how God orders things in the universe. These principles work whether for ill or good because the mechanism is the same. If you take care of your body then things will likely be just fine. However, just as in Compartment Syndrome, if we don’t pay attention to a problem area of life and deal with it correctly by considering the whole picture, trouble will ensue! An example of how this principle applies in society is the current state of affairs regarding the American legal system and the Supreme Court.

America was established as a constitutional republic (not a democracy), with a foundation rooted in applying Christian principles both at state and federal levels. The Declaration of Independence cites God as the Author of freedom and not the state. Every state constitution acknowledged that fact.  The overwhelming majority of the leaders at that time were Christian, or at least understood and accepted Christian principles. The same is true regarding the people of the colonies. The Bible was taught and/or referred to in homes, schools, businesses and even governmental meetings! It was understood this was a Christian nation and that it was to be operated by Christian principles. This especially applied to the interpretation of American law and jurisprudence.

Fast forward 200-odd years, and we can see a steady divergence from what was the once-accepted interpretation of law. Instead of acknowledging God for the source of freedom, court systems now seem bent on removing Him from every area of life. Just as in Compartment Syndrome, pressure is built up in specific areas which constricts the flow of ‘blood’ (applying God’s principles to jurisprudence), causing further harm.

Instead of applying Christian principles in the administration of law, we have allowed the courts to devolve into mindless and directionless wrangling over specific legal verbiage. They focus on the particulars and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Instead of considering the whole, jurists and judges  and lawyers frequently compartmentalize issues and side-step the real issue; jurisprudence without God as the source of wisdom. That kind of narrow-mindedness leads, inevitably, to the faulty decisions we see so frequently now. Instead of the ‘bigger picture’ we are subject to mind-numbing idiocy arguing the meaning of basic words, as evidenced by this;

“It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” Bill Clinton.

This is not a comparison of Democrat and Republican, it is comparison of character. By removing God from our way of governance we have estranged ourselves from the very One Who gave us life and liberty in the first place. It is the compartmentalizing of issues without considering the whole problem, which is our separation of administering laws apart from the principles of God. This divorce from God will only lead to further misunderstanding and misapplication of our laws (in general) and society as a whole.

This issue won’t be resolved by party affiliation, politics or legal jostling for position. It won’t necessarily be ‘fixed’ by someone we elect to public office, either. We must consider the whole problem and not compartmentalize issues. Just as with CS, we need to re-establish the ‘blood flow’ of God’s Word into the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens. If we fail to do this, continuing injury and destruction await.

This compartmentalization will only be remedied as we the people individually submit ourselves to God and seek Him for forgiveness of failings and guidance from His counsel – the Word of God. By considering the whole of our governmental authority (which is derived from God), we can watch Him repair the damage that has been inflicted on our land.

This fact was summed up rather nicely by one of the architects of our form of government;

“[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, October 11, 1798.

May God give us – each of us – a heart to seek Him in all that we do. Any other form of governance will only be an exercise in futility.

Quotation provided by Wallbuilders.com