Breathing - Written by Pastor Anthony Jordan, MCM, DOPA-C; Washington State
Well this is our forth paper and we’ve spoken about some very interesting things that are key to the functioning of the human body. The item we are speaking of today is critical and familiar to all. It is not a term I need to define but I hope to bring some clarity and insights.
As we all know we breathe to live. It is something that begins at birth and hopefully lasts throughout a long and productive life. It is replenishing and allows us to speak into the ears of those around us. In looking down the pharynx (throat) we see that the glottis (opening between the vocal cords) actually is the primary route and the esophagus (path of food) is, for me at least, hard to see.
In the picture above the V is made by the Vocal cords and the dark opening between them is the glottis. Through that dark opening breathing happens and when the V closes sound is created for speaking or singing. When your favorite speaker, singer or rapper is sharing sound that passage is the instrument that creates the sound.
The fact that we nurture or nag as a byproduct of breathing is something to think and pray about. For without the expulsion of breath we have no voice. That which brings us life can thus become life or death to those who listen. And if we have no breath we have no voice.
At birth we receive the privilege of breathing and making sounds. Breathing comes naturally yet speaking/singing is learned. Selah, pause and consider that. Have you truly mastered those? Do overs are the practice that can bring perfection… And remember all voices are not the same due to the framing of the passageway. Yet we all can improve the reception by training the transmission. With training, that voice can become more powerful and clear. With training, breathing too can become more powerful and clear.
For breathing, although instinctive, can be honed. It is the communication between our surroundings and our insides. It is the path through which the needed oxygen enters our system and as we’ve previously discussed is sent by the heart to each and every cell of our body. It is also the method through which the exhalation of waste Carbon dioxide (CO2) is removed.
Let us focus on these two ideas, receiving nurture and discarding byproduct. Notice that I’ve reframed the CO2 from waste to byproduct. When it pertains to the immediate function of the cells CO2 is a waste. But due to the economy of God that waste is nurture to the things, which bring us life. CO2 is like oxygen to the plants, which produce our food and are food for the animals that many of us also use as food. It is the chemical from which the structure of many of our homes, chairs, tables and spanking spoons develops, carbon.
Yes, carbon is a key component of wood. The wood, that comes from the plants that absorb the byproduct of our activity. The same plants that need and draw nurture from our “waste” gasses give us life via their “waste” gas oxygen.
This exchange of “waste” gases occurs in the most vulnerable location between the outside world and our body; the lungs. Together, the lungs contain approximately 1,500 miles of air passageways and 300 to 500 million alveoli (air exchange chambers).1
In adults, the total surface area of lungs is roughly the same size as 1/2 of a tennis court– 1076.39 sq ft. If all of the capillaries (smallest blood vessels) that surround the alveoli were unwound and laid end to end, they would extend for about 616 miles.1 Now be very aware that with all of this space and tubing both lungs together only weigh approximately 2.9 pounds. 
Yes, this vast space, with a huge amount of very small blood vessels only weighs around 3 pounds. That is because the space is often only two cells thick. That is right, the cells of the alveoli lie right next to the cells of the capillaries. Blood is in the capillaries and air is in the lungs. For the oxygen in the lungs to enter the blood it must only pass through these two very small cells. The overly abundant CO2 in the blood needs only to pass through these small cells to exit into the world.
The skin, stomach and even the eyes have much greater levels of dense cellular protection. That is because protection is not the job, communication is. The communication of nurture in and byproduct of life out is the job of the lungs and the purpose of breathing.
The communication of nurture in and the byproducts of life out is the purpose of prayer, our other interface with pneúma – properly, spirit (Spirit), wind, or breath.2 To me, that the communication with the world around us, words, songs and gasses happens via breath is a beautiful model of the communication between the Spirit and us. The breathing in and out of the Spirit of God is life eternal.
So study your breathing. Notice that it happens because we create a space with in us and are open to allow that pneúma to enter. The more deeply we inspire the deeper it penetrates. It will come in as fast as we draw it. It will leave as fast as we push it out. It is our source of continuing life and deprived of it we will die.
Just as with breathing communication with the Spirit of God can be silent and very personal or powerfully public. The Spirit of God comes in as we create space within, it comes as fast or leaves as fast as we expel it. It brings in nurture and carries away the waste we surrender to it. As the lungs wrap around our heart and allow the heart to carry life to the entirety of us. The Spirit too allows our heart to communicate life and to live.
Both breathing and prayer are designed to be continuous, harmonious and smooth. Both should have rhythm, both increase with exertion or stress. Both bring peace and calm if deepened and lengthened. Both empower speech, which can change our world and our lives forever. Interruption of these ongoing communications is the goal of our enemy as he seeks to kill, steal and destroy.3
Our mothers suffered the pain and trauma to birth us into the privilege of communication through breathing. Jesus suffered death to birth us into the communication with and by the Spirit of God. Don’t allow anyone or anything to take that life giving interaction away. Cherish, pray for and study the ways you may most effectively breathe. Go and watch War Room, the movie!
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_lung
2. http://biblehub.com/greek/4151.htm
3. John 10:10