New Under The Sun?

You've heard it before "There is nothing new under the sun" This comes from the pen of one much wiser than I. However, I had a revelation. if you will, of a new perspective on that age-old quote form the book of Ecclesiastes. 


We find ourselves in a universe that has order.  We have worked very hard as a race to establish and define this order.  The law of gravity, and Bernoulli'a principle along with aerodynamics and mechanical engineering have brought about he era of man-made flying machines.  However, these laws and principles already existed before they were written down.  Things stuck to the earth before Newton took an apple to the head.  And the wind could suck the air out of a cave just as well before Bernoulli applied his fluid pressure principle to pumps as now.


What I'm getting at is that even our most advanced discoveries are not of things new but discoveries of that which has existed for some time.  Ice melts when the temperature reaches above 32 degrees F.  When a new super conductor is made and it moves energy or information faster than ever before it's still not new, for those elements in that configuration will act that way weather we put it together or something in creation did without human intervention.  


So what! I gotta kind of agree with that sentiment.  But when we see life as something being uncovered rather than created our whole outlook and energy can be different.  I mean, who doesn't like to open a new present.  But few people if any are anxious to venture out into the unknown just for the sake of moving on in life.


Mystery is a great motivator, it seems though we each have a different sense of which mysteries are important.  Some excell at one thing and others fill their hobby time win something else.  Each person has their passions - but I find it much more intriguing to consider that all that exists is already there - ours is just to uncover it or remember again where it came from.  Everything is just a great big pile of potential waiting to be unlocked.  We don't have to be impressive to excel just inquisitive.


So here's to discovery in all aspects of life.  There is more to uncover and much to learn --- Don't Stop!

Affliction? What Affliction?

Have the slightest inconvenience and we are heard to speak out and be outraged at the injustice.  Drive to slow in front of me, cause me extra work, make a mess for me to clean up, cost me more money than I think I ought to put out.  These great "afflictions" have been known to illicit reactions from me ranging from mock outrage, to frustrated acclimation, to outright anger.

But nothing I experience comes anywhere in the vicinity of the affliction that Christ faced.  His affliction was to be abandoned at the height of perfect suffering, both physically and spiritually, by one whose comfort and relationship he had existed in from before  time itself had been created.  He endured beating and torture few men lived through and the weight of the world's sin had blemished his eternally perfect self and now he was alone.  In spite of this we find that "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth" Isa 53:7 (NIV).

I know not affliction on any real level.  For the most part our afflictions are slight inconveniences.  At least they are, if you value things that cannot be seen over things that we can grasp hold of only for a moment.  In truth if we take a Biblical view of our sufferings and troubles we quickly find they are opportunities to grow, minister, share, and develop character.

In the previos chapter to his description of Christ's demeanor in his suffering Isaiah, the prophet, proclaims that we should "Burst into songs of joy" in the midst of our ruin(52:9) because our God is redeeming us.  Our ruin is also our salvation!

Affliction? What affliction is this that points to a salvation that is available no where else, in no one else and not by the work of our own hands.  We have no affliction no true affliction at all, except the stubbornness of our souls that pridefully clings to our afflictions as problems and our 'ability' to overcome them on our own.

Tim Hawkins Comedian - Polictical Commentator

Comedy is funny because is gives us new perspectives on what we already know.  Found this to be too close to the truth to laugh.