Sunday, June 6, 2010 -- Barry and Christy were married. A sacred and momentus and happy thing.
I'm trying to understand this. There are two unknowns in my mind: both the shape and the relevance of the event. If I stop to consider the shape of an event, my solution will outmoded by time. The only way to stop something long enough to understand its shape would be to pour on some mental liquid nitrogen: but in time it would crumble. For now, all events seem like unto Heisenberg's whizzing electron. Undeniably real, provokingly unknowable.
If you don't understand this ... then maybe you do.
Perhaps this struggle is what makes a relationship with God meaningful; because meaning is knowing...
God knows
we know
He knows
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3 months ago
5 comments:
The reality of halting time to determine the shape of an event is irrefutably unobtainable. However, I believe discovering the shape of an event is plausible - outside of its time. If you were able to pour on liquid nitrogen, I don't believe you would find the shape of that time piece but rather a mass of unknowable meaning. The shape of an event, as I mentioned before, is outside of its time. Therefore, to discern this shape, one must climb out of the chassis of that circumstance and travel forward. When the time comes, you will be able to look back to the inside of yourself and the world around you and the shape will rise up and be perceivable - tangible.
Marjorie, (Kendall -- I wonder?)
I think I understand you to say: "events take on meaningful shape within the context of time if reflected upon from a certain vantage-point in the future."
My experience confirms your point. Events that puzzled me a few years ago now seem to make more sense.
I wonder though: Is our "20:20 hindsight" a function of glossing over details of shape? Does our presbyopia stem from an unerring understanding of time?
You understood one part. A second side I was looking at: I guess "shape" could have more of a dual meaning. Not only does the event take on meaningful shape from a distance, but the shape is not necessarily just in the event itself. Maybe I'm stepping out of the discussion at hand as having to do with the event solely. But I don't think you can separate the shape of an event from how it directly relates to/shapes life. Part of the shape is found in your life... after time.
"20:20 hindsight." I'm not sure that we, in our mortal state, would have the capacity to handle the details in the moment. Or - how do we know that an event has more details of shape than we can perceive? Are the details actually there in the event's time, or do they come as a result of time?
Presbyopia. Or - does our "unerring" understanding of time stem from our presbyopia?
~ Kendall
margie,
Even if we're both wrong, (which I think is quite likely), it is fun to try... and I do appreciate your thoughts!
We're looking for the reality of an event. It seems to me that "shape" of an event changes continuously with "time" ... hence my difficulty in trusting that there could ever be a definitive moment in which we could say "Aha, the reality!" ...
All of this is very clumsy. We should develop an analogy.
What if we imagine ourselves as water molecules in a river. Events are like twigs thrown into the flow from the river's edge. I'm arguing that to really understand the twig, you would have to understand what it looked like, and its motion relative to the bank (eternity, if you like).
Given my analogy, I think that true understanding can never happen this side of eternity... however, I know it IS true that events seem to make more sense given enough time...
Aah! my mind has been trapped by crawling microbes that forbid my thoughts from roaming into realms of abstract proportion.
I love analogies, and this one is very good. Unfortunately, all analogies in their helpfulness lack complete analogousness. But they often allow for further insight that might not have otherwise been found.
From a water molecules perspective, it is impossible to fully see and understand the twig. The twig is much bigger than the molecule can fathom. And though it may traverse the twig like an electron scanning microscope, it cannot pull the whole picture together. Throughout the current of time, the twig changes. I don't like to think of an event deteriorating, though I think distinctiveness may wear. But, if understanding becomes more clear... As time continues, it may be the wearing that brings appeared understanding. The bark softens and begins to fall away. However, the water molecule cannot be traversing the twig and observe the movement in relation to the bank at the same time...
If we're not careful, we will run ourselves into an all too familiar grappling circle. Though maybe it is this circle whose orbit we are trying to launch out of.
So, we recognize that there are aspects of events that are hidden from view. I think this is probably a blessing.
We agree that complete or true understanding cannot be attained this side of eternity. Another blessing I would venture to think.
~~~~~
I have always found time, events, and situations very intriguing and have often grappled with them. In my observations, there is an unwavering control and balance amidst each-- the wrestling for understanding of such, though futile in appearance, brings us back to an awe of the power and faithfulness of a Divine Hand.
Molecules are rather small...
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