Root Canal Appreciation Day is observed in the month of May. That’s not a typo. There is, in fact, a day set aside each year to appreciate the root canal.
To be honest, I’ve never had a root canal. But I’ve heard that they are not an enjoyable experience. For those who have undergone this procedure, my hope is that you won’t stop reading at this point because the very memory of your last root canal leaves you fidgeting in your seat.
For those who are unfamiliar with a root canal, let me provide a brief explanation. For starters, let’s look at the tooth. Inside each tooth is a section called “pulp.” The pulp helps nurture the tooth, provides it with nutrients, and helps keep the tooth healthy. If a cavity goes unchecked, or if there is any other hole or crack in the tooth, the pulp can become infected and start to cause pain.
When a dentist performs a root canal, they must first remove the infection from the pulp. Once the infection is cleared, the dentist restores the tooth and gives it a good cleaning. Finally, a cap (called a “crown”) is placed on the tooth to provide additional protection. Hopefully I haven’t lost any of you yet.
When we disobey God and think, say, or do things that are contrary to God’s call for our life, the result is “sin.” If we let down our guard and allow sinful thoughts, words, or actions to become more and more of our daily life, our spiritual heart becomes like the pulp of a tooth that becomes infected. Our sin can cause us pain because of harmful behaviors, damaged relationships, or negative consequences. And just like a dentist needs to clean out infection from a tooth’s pulp, so does our heart need to be cleansed from sin in order to be made well.
Jesus is given many different titles: wonderful counselor, great physician, and prince of peace just to name a few. I think we could add “heavenly dentist” to the list. To help clear out the infection of sin in our spiritual heart, we turn to Jesus. Just as a dentist uses tools and instruments to clean an infected tooth, Jesus gives His hope, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love. As we read about each of these wonderful gifts in the Bible, spend time in prayer, and genuinely repent of the sin we carry, the hurt and pain of sin can begin to clear out.
Jesus cleans our heart and spirit, and restores us. We are made clean because of His sacrificial death on the cross and miraculous resurrection from the grave. To “restore” something is to bring it back into a state or condition that it was previously in. When Jesus restores our heart, it is made clean again. And when our heart is clean, our thoughts, words, and actions shift and become aligned with God’s plan and purpose for us.
Finally, after sin is cleaned from our heart and the cracks of our spirit are restored, we receive a “crown” from Jesus. This isn’t a physical crown made of gold or filled with jewels. It is a crown of glory. This “crown” symbolizes our faith, commitment, and obedience to God. It is a crown that does not fade, cannot be stolen, and travels with you wherever you go.
Just like a tooth whose pulp has become infected needs a root canal - a cleansing, restorative, and protective process - in order to become healthy, sometimes our lives need to be cleaned of sin, restored to its earlier state, and protected from future pain. And like the appreciation we feel in a restored and healthy tooth, we feel great appreciation for a healthy spirit that comes as a result of the healing power of Jesus.
Word in Faith is a collaboration of Wayne Association of Congregations and Ministers (WACAM), an organization partially funded by the Wayne Community Chest.
