bonar crump

bonar crump
husband - father - reader - runner - picker - grinner - lover - sinner

Friday, September 10, 2010

Clarity

LIFE—
  • condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.
  • The sum of the distinguishing phenomena of organisms, esp. metabolism, growth, reproduction, and adaptation to environment.
  • The animate existence or period of animate existence of an individual: to risk one's life; a short life and a merry one.
  • A corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul: eternal life.
  • The general or universal condition of human existence: Too bad, but life is like that.
  • Any specified period of animate existence: a man in middle life.
  • The period of existence, activity, or effectiveness of something inanimate, as a machine, lease, or play: The life of the car may be ten years.
  • A living being: Several lives were lost.
  • Living things collectively: the hope of discovering life on other planets; insect life.
  • A particular aspect of existence: He enjoys an active physical life. 
  • The course of existence or sum of experiences and actions that constitute a person's existence: His business has been his entire life. 
  • A biography: a newly published life of Willa Cather.
  • Animation; liveliness; spirit: a speech full of life.
  • Resilience; elasticity.
  • The force that makes or keeps something alive; the vivifying or quickening principle: The life of the treaty has been an increase of mutual understanding and respect.
  • A mode or manner of existence, as in the world of affairs or society: So far her business life has not overlapped her social life.
  • The period or extent of authority, popularity, approval, etc.: the life of the committee; the life of a bestseller.
  • A prison sentence covering the remaining portion of the offender's animate existence: The judge gave him life.
  • Anything or anyone considered to be as precious as life: She was his life.
  • A person or thing that enlivens: the life of the party.
  • Effervescence or sparkle, as of wines.
  • Pungency or strong, sharp flavor, as of substances when fresh or in good condition.
  • Nature or any of the forms of nature as the model or subject of a work of art: drawn from life.
  • Baseball. Another opportunity given to a batter to bat because of a misplay by a fielder.
  • (In English pool) one of a limited number
 Life is confusing. Life is hard. Life is full of choices. Life will beat you down. Life isn’t fair. While these statements are indisputably accurate, they are only true
when attributed to a specific usage of the term LIFE: (The course of existence or sum of experiences and actions that constitute a person's existence). Multiple definitions of words in the English language can be downright confusing.

CLARITY—1. Clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding.2. Freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.
—Synonyms 1. intelligibility, exactness, simplicity.
 
Surely, multiple definitions of a word such as clarity pose little threat to our understanding of life. How ironic would it be to discover that clarity might sometimes foster obscurity? What if our application of the meaning of clarity somehow predicated our way of life? Does Clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding ALWAYS equal Freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity? For instance, a hardcore racist with neo-Nazi tattoos can be free from ambiguity about their beliefs, but clearness of understanding is debateable due to the ignorance of their beliefs.

Isn’t the message of Jesus one of Truth, Life, and Clarity? What in the world could be so difficult about that kind of message? To answer that question we have to look at the ambiguity inherent in the generic definition of Truth. Once a person's full acceptance of a belief or ideal transforms perceived experience into individual truth, a declaration of clarity is made. It's a wild goose chase when trying to establish clarity of universal Truth as long as the understanding of what fundamental reality actually is continues to shift about on an ever-changing pinwheel of self-interest and self-preservation (perceived experience).

TRUTH— (often initial capital letter ) ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience: the basic truths of life.

According to the 2nd chapter of Luke, Jesus and his parents made annual trips to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. On one of these trips when Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph noticed that they had left Jesus behind while leaving Jerusalem. In a frenzied panic, they went back to Jerusalem. After 3 days of retracing their steps, they found Jesus hanging out at the Temple asking questions and chatting with the teachers. “The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers.”

SHARP— clearly defined; distinct.
 
Why would erudite men be so impressed with the understanding and inquisitiveness of a 12 year old boy? The record doesn’t indicate that he was blowing their minds, but he was definitely proving to be “smarter than the average bear.” I would think that instead of taking their breath away with fantastic revelations long sought after by the wisest men of history, 12-year-old-Jesus was simply revealing clarity (clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding).

Think about Jesus’ primary audience throughout his ministry. Think about what He said and how He related to the people around Him. Think about His answers to the questions of the religious leaders of the day. Think about how He dealt with confrontation, hunger on the Sabbath, and women caught in the act of adultery. The words that should be scrolling through your mind right now are common, gentle, unambiguous, unpretentious, kind, and possibly controversial.

The instructions of Jesus to love, to tolerate, to go the extra mile, to lift a stranger out of the ditch, to feed the hungry, to give without expectation of repayment, to sell out for what is Truth are all predicated by the act of restoring and maintaining clarity.

My argument is simple: Jesus’ call to “become like little children” in order to “enter the kingdom of heaven” is a call to clarity, simplicity, kindness, and gentleness (Matt 18). Voracious defense of specific ways of life, punditry, nationalism, and exclusivity do not seem to have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Economics, politics, religion, and all the –isms (although a part of everyday life) do not seem to have a place at the table when Jesus is sitting down to have supper. These things are enemies of clarity. They are Asherah poles and sacred stones.
________________________________________

Deuteronomy 16:21-22 (New International Version)
21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, 22 and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.
________________________________________

If applied to ignorant beliefs, clarity can obscure Truth. When we allow our false gods and idols to define our freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity (clarity) we loose sight of childlike intuitiveness. We cannot relate to our audience, confront the real enemies of Truth and Life, and reach out to the rest of the world as long as we are standing guard over the Asherah pole.

Each of us have our own false gods, idols, and distractions from what is the course of existence or sum of experiences and actions that constitute a person's existence (Life).What is it that will be meaningful in the long run? What are the Asherah poles in your own life? How do we regain clarity once it begins to fade? How can we balance ideals with pragmatism? Jesus answers these questions and more. He does so with clarity and efficiency of thought, word, and deed. Jesus’ instructions concerning behavior are intended to dismantle the distractions. His admonitions are warnings against distractions. His affinity for children reflects his love of simplicity and innocence. Jesus walked, talked, breathed, spoke, contemplated, delivered, and fostered clarity.

What would others say of you, as an individual, concerning your focus and clarity? What are you focused ON—politics, religion, economics, wealth, lust, pride? …Not exactly a list befitting “little children.”

“As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back.”
~ Author Unknown

No comments:

Post a Comment