The Shades Between the Absolutes

Often people will have an "all or nothing" attitude
about things. Either something is good, or it's not.
Either something is negative, or it's positive.
Something is black, or it's white.

I was writing to someone recently and I said,
"sometimes you can make your own reality in the
shades between the absolutes." It is another
way of saying that there might be pieces of things
that will work for you in the midst of something
as a whole that might not.

Since I recently brought up religion, I was thinking
about the Bible. So many associate it with religion,
and Christianity, and may be inclined to disregard it
for all sorts of reasons, including its association
with those who may appear fanatical.

I tend (as you may know if you know me) to look at
things from a perspective of what works, and what
is responsible to others I share this planet with.

In that vein, I thought I would share two things
in the Bible that stand out for me and support how I
look at things, and a little about why I highlight them.

Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matt 7:1)

I pick this one because I find judgment rampant in
society. There is always going to be someone that
will be in a different position than you. What
you think of them is likely to say more about you
than what it says about them. In addition, I think
this in some way calls attention to the fact that
what we do can be (and likely is) done to us. Just
because we stop, it doesn't mean others will.

However, the more who take this on, the more
compassion there will be in the world. I don't
know about you, but I certainly wouldn't object to
that, but we might have to find other things to
talk about. :)

He that is without sin among you, let him cast the
first stone at her. (John 8:7)

I find that behind closed doors most people will
have their "thing" that they're unwilling, or
afraid, to express to the world for fear of judgment.
How many conservative politicians have gotten caught
in situations that run against how they publicly
position themselves? They're not the only ones
who have desires that seem unacceptable enough to
lie about them on the surface.

I think what Jesus said makes a lot of sense. If
we were to realize that we are those we interact
with and judge, perhaps we'd stop "throwing stones."

There is much in the Bible that might be questionable,
and one might wonder what is "real" or "true," and
it would be easy to get caught up in a superficial
argument about what "is." Personally I'd be inclined
to find things we might agree upon, and go from there.

Interestingly, I am not sure everyone would agree
even with the two quotes that I have pulled out.
Some might find that they can, and will, believe that
how they look at things is somehow superior, and
their actions justifiable within those beliefs.

However in the
end how does that help?

Supposedly things only produce more of what they are.
If that is true, then one will never have peace from
violence. One will never have love come from hate.
The possibility for love and peace are always present,
however, isn't it interesting to consider that we
somehow think that the "positive" thing we want is
attainable through a "negative" mechanism that is
likely bring us more of its own kind, instead of the
"positive" desired result?

There is a conversation about war that is brewing
in my head...and I am tempted to flesh it out,
however, it is not really a topic for this post...
so perhaps it'll be for another day. Just know,
though, that I acknowledge that some might say that
war brings peace, and I am not so sure about that.
However that is a discussion for another time.

In the meanwhile, consider considering the things you
toss to the side in totality. You may be throwing
away a gem.

Have a great day!