41 Avoiding Lukewarmness
Burke Chipman
Author Biography
Burke Chipman is a freshman at Utah State University. He has always enjoyed reading and creative writing. He hopes to major in Psychology and hopefully minor in Journalism.
Writing Reflection
The idea of the lukewarm, or a comfort zone, has always been an interesting one to me. In a modern age with high rates of anxiety, it can be easy to limit yourself to your comfort zone. But it is important for people to know that personal growth cannot be achieved without the feeling of discomfort. My essay attempts to convey this message through an alternating structure of research strands and personal anecdotes, all revolving around the symbolic concepts of temperature.
This essay was composed in January 2024 and uses MLA documentation.
Lukewarm, adj., luke·warm, ˈlük-ˈwȯrm
- : moderately warm : (a lukewarm coffee)
- : lacking conviction : (a lukewarm review)
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Somewhere in between hot and cold, exists the concept of “lukewarm”. In childhood, lukewarmness was often dreaded. You drank your hot cocoa quickly before it cooled down. You hastily licked your ice cream before it melted. And you devoured your brownies while they were gooey and fresh, not as they began to stale. You rushed and stressed to avoid lukewarmness, and while doing so, you sometimes burnt your tongue or suffered a brain freeze. Eventually, you learned to wait on hot liquids and pace yourself with frozen goods. That lesson is now keeping you safe from tongue burns and brain freezes, but it also traps you in a lukewarm, mundane reality. Despite the occasional consequences, a person should choose to reject the lukewarm and embrace the dramatic temperatures of life.
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Lukewarm made its first appearance in the late 14th century. The adjective, “luke”, is obsolete except for its use in lukewarm. Luke originates from the Middle English word leuk, meaning “tepid” (Online Etymology Dictionary). This brings the most common definition of a weak heat. However, the word’s usage began to evolve past its literal application to temperature. Within two centuries, it was used to represent a lack of enthusiasm or zeal (Hiskey). So, lukewarm can be applied to a person, or their behavior, the same way it could be applied to a cup of coffee.
The metallic whirring of a white box fan echoed throughout my dimly lit bedroom. I laid in my bed, wearing my bed sheets as a suit of armor. My eyes rotated like the fan, circling every corner of the room. I watched as shadows stretched and danced, forming horrific faces on my dirty laundry pile. My favorite present from my sixth birthday party, a bright blue “Pokémon” t-shirt, had transfigured into a form of disgust. This face was in agony. It puffed its inflated lips at me, revealing a black void rather than teeth or a tongue. The same void resided behind its wrinkled eye sockets. The wall night light flickered for a moment and the face smiled, daring me to keep peeping. I refused as I ducked my head under my covers. My breath reflected against the heavy duvet, coating my body in an unbearable warmth. Not even a minute passed before I decided to relinquish myself to the monsters. The skin on my face sighed with relief as I undressed its helmet, but its eyes quickly met with the faces. I felt cold and vulnerable again. I grabbed my favorite stuffed animal, Leonard, and rolled to my left, opting to stare at the illuminated alarm clock. It read “3:07 AM”. I held Leonard tightly, my body stopped scorching, and my face stopped freezing. I was overtaken by sleep.
A chilling rush of anxious excitement massaged my spine, if the hairs on my arms weren’t wet, they’d be rigid as a forest. The smoldering rays of the sun painted a golden highway across the surface of the water, but I didn’t feel their heat, nor the chilling seawater engulfing my torso. My eyes traveled the highway until they reached the gargantuan figure at its end: a sea monster. Its silhouette left a dark blotch on the otherwise flawless blue skyline. Panicking, I looked around at my fellow beachgoers, none seemed to notice the monstrosity. I swam further from shore, hoping for a better look. Its tentacles repeatedly rose before thrashing down on the sea surface. I knew it; the monster is making the waves. Summoning my courage, I charged out to sea. Daydreams of bringing the monster’s tail to my fourth grade “show and tell” next week filled my mind. I swerved and dove under crashing waves, coughing the salty burn of seawater out from my throat. After a few minutes of fighting, one of the monster’s tentacles gripped my ankle and dragged me further than expected. My head swiveled back towards shore, and I searched for my family’s blue fish patterned towel. I spotted it, vibrant against the sand, but I realized it was too far away. With all my strength, I swam away from the nonexistent sea monster; it had ceased its imaginative activities, patiently waiting for when I wished to play again. I pushed and kicked, but the shore never got closer. I looked for the lifeguard on their stand, but only saw a yellow flag, warning beachgoers of rip currents. My muscles stiffened. I was cold. I wanted to be on land, laying on the fiery sand while the sun licked my icy skin. I attempted to scream for help, but my voice was frozen.
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The “Urban Dictionary” is an online dictionary website that is sourced by any user wishing to submit an entry. One user, “fotografioj”, gave their own definition of lukewarm: “Luke thinks it’s warm. But Luke is a dumbass, so I wouldn’t take his word for it.” Along with their definition, fotografioj also gave an example:
Jeff: This coffee is lukewarm. Who the hell was Luke, anyway?
Rick: I don’t know. He must’ve been a dumbass.
This crude and unorthodox definition serves as a condemnation to the concept of lukewarm. It acknowledges that Luke thinks it’s warm, but it advises you not to heed Luke’s ideas. “Luke” is one of the most popular baby names in the United States. In 2022, Luke was ranked 34th in popularity, and its longform, Lucas, was ranked 8th; combined, there were 18,253 Luke or Lucas births that year (Social Security Administration).
The scaly edge of the ball stuck to my palms as I held it tightly. My face was hot, and a cold bead of sweat was traversing down my forehead. I didn’t notice either sensation. My eyes were darting, carefully considering which teammate was most likely to score. I could pass to Luke, Luke, or Luke. One was the tallest in our grade, but despite this advantage lacked the dexterity to ever put the ball in the hoop. The other two were short, but good shooters and overcompensated for their size with energy. They all shared an extremely common first name. Kidnapping my focus from the game, I twinged with a familiar jealousy. I wished I could complete this “squadron of Lukes”. I remembered asking my Mom if I could change my name. I remembered the sessions of speech therapy, so that I could properly introduce myself as “Burke” instead of “Bowk”. I remembered the mispronunciations from teachers. I imagined myself with a simple name like Luke, Luke, and Luke had. A reverberating slap shattered my daydream. The ball was now loose from my hands rolling to the other team. Heat and shame gathered in my face, making it red. “You suck”, said another Luke, this one from the enemy team. I probably should have just passed to Luke.
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Lukewarm makes one of its earliest published appearances in the Bible. The Book of Revelation, Chapter 3 states, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (English Standard Version Bible, Rev. 3.15-16). In this chapter, Jesus is delivering a series of messages to churches that worship him. He proceeds through the messages, giving each church some points of praise except for one: the church of Laodicea. Jesus critiques the Laodiceans, and their lukewarm tendencies. They are not passionate and zealous, nor are they rebellious or delinquent. This lukewarm behavior was troublesome to Jesus, because it gave them just enough familiarity to disregard his genuine teachings while passing with an unenthusiastic compliance. In contrast, the Laodiceans feel quite comfortable, lacking the passion to live with conviction, and maintaining the bare minimum to exist peacefully.
Steam lackadaisically ascended towards the night sky, marking the contrast between the 98 degree hot tub and the 43 degree air. My shoulders loosened as three powered jets propelled water into my spine. I craned my head backwards and stared at the stars, unable to resist cliche thoughts like “The world is beautiful.” My serenity snapped as my friend stated my name. I peered at them blankly and almost laughed. They had become owls, wide-eyed and unflinching. Suddenly, I felt that they were analyzing my every move. “Yeah, what’s up?”, I responded. One opened his mouth to speak but only a murmur came out. Normally reckless, he was suddenly cautious. With difficulty, he said, “Do you…wanna talk about the breakup yesterday?”. I didn’t, and they didn’t understand why I didn’t. They assumed that I was in some form of shock or denial, that despite my assurances, I was in need of some emotional help. After all, my “first love” and I had broken up the day before. My friends were wrong; truthfully, I felt just fine.
A harmonious combination overjoyed my peaceful state. To the outside observer, I was sitting in my bed, reading a book. But such a statement would be unjust to the meticulous details involved in the scene. The window presented a frosty feeling, snow topped trees and the breath of chimneys. But the bit of chill that was navigating inside was being fought on three fronts.
The radiating space heater in the corner, softening the air. The enveloping duvet resting on my lower body, warming my feet. And the steaming mug of hot chocolate, infecting my insides with a toasty sensation. I couldn’t imagine a time I felt so content, comfortable, and pleasant. I couldn’t imagine a time so perfectly lukewarm. I felt a short buzz in my pocket, and reached under the duvet to grab my iPhone. The notification was from a group message with friends. I tapped on the video one had sent. It showed a skier, and fellow group chat member, wearing only underpants, fail the landing of a jump and disappear into soft powder. The familiar shouts and cackles of my friends gave the video a persistent backtrack. I imagined my laugh among their cacophony. I scrolled up to the messages from the previous day, most of which imploring me to join the ski session. I refused for the usual reasons: I was inexperienced and would not enjoy it. I rewatched the video, finding it less amusing and more sad the second time through. I closed the message app, and navigated to the weather. 16 degrees? Way too cold for me anyway.
Works Cited
fotografioj. “Lukewarm.” Urban Dictionary, 29 December 2011, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lukewarm. Accessed 25 January 2024.
Hiskey, Daven. “Origin of the Word Lukewarm.” Today I Found Out, 17 August 2012, https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/08/origin-of-the-word-lukewarm/. Accessed 25 January 2024.
“Lukewarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lukewarm. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024. Online Etymology Dictionary. “lukewarm | Etymology of lukewarm by etymonline.” Etymonline, 8 December 2023, https://www.etymonline.com/word/lukewarm. Accessed 25 January 2024.
Social Security Administration. “Popular Baby Names.” SSA, 2022, https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html. Accessed 25 January 2024. The Bible. English Standard Version, Crossway, 2001, https://www.esv.org/.
