My son asked a deep question recently. He asked, if God knew everything was going to go wrong with his creation, why did he let it? Some form of this question has been debated for years. The truth is no one but God knows for sure. He hasn't told us.
But when he put out this question, I felt it deserved some response. I first told him I wasn't sure. Then quickly opened my mind to God hoping he would fill it as he's done in the past when the need arises. This is what then came out of my mouth in answer. I'm surprised by it myself, because I truly tell you I have not thought this before.
Before I get to it, I need to establish a little background though or it won't make sense. First of course is that God exists. There are proofs, but I won't belabor that here. Next is that God is almighty. He can do anything and nothing can stop it. And if there's anything he can't do, it is truly impossible in the most literal sense...like cease to exist or something.
Next is that God is good. This has to be the case or he would be no God. A god perhaps, but not God. Because good is clearly better than bad. Every serious religion, minor or major, and even hardcore athiests believe this. So God can't be a lesser thing or he wouldn't be almighty.
So here we are. How could this type of God let things go so badly if he knew it was going to happen? Wouldn't it have been better not to make it all rather than make it so it could destroy itself? So there would be suffering and evil? Doesn't sound very good, does it?
But here's what came out of my mouth:
Maybe he did it to show something that has never been done before. Maybe he did it to demonstrate to the universe that he is almighty. That even a creation which owed its very existence to him, could not live apart from him, but which chose to annihilate itself...even this most evil of evils he could work out to be good in the end. That even the worst thing that could possibly happen could not stop him or thwart his goodness. He WILL save his creation. He WILL NOT allow it to be lost. Even that which is given free will to go its own way even to the point of denaturing and destroying itself...even THAT, he can and will make right. EVERY wrong will be righted.
Wow. That did not come from me, I know that. Thank God for this. Both for it being true, and for how he revealed it.
I believe more than ever that God is not what most of us have been taught. He is closer than our own thoughts, more loving than we can imagine, more powerful than we can fathom. Everything we call good is epitomized in him. If there is anything that can be trusted it is him...or he would be no God at all.
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Maker
A friend recently made a relatively offhand comment about the current Maker fad. It struck me, since I make a lot of things myself. It's true, there is a current faddy popularity in "Making", as it is called. In typical fad fashion, it's got it's own jargon, etc. In short, it simply refers to people making things on their own. It's different from crafting, or carpentry, or DIY in that making usually refers to technological or machine types of things, but they're all related.
I think the fad is being fueled somewhat, at least in my friend's circles, by forward thinking librarians and teachers who are rightfully trying to adapt outdated institutions to a world of increasing technology, consumerism, and independent and instant access to information. It is a fallacy of our thinking to believe things will stay the same. But the truth is, many of our seemingly permanent institutions are not nearly as permanent as we think. For example, public school as we know it is only about a century old, and high school was not even common until the mid 20th century. So in short, these places and professionals are trying to adapt to changing conditions...and this is good, even if they jump on fad trends in the process.
So, back to Making. My friend comments that it's nothing new. And that is right. In fact, for me, this is part of the attraction. You see, every culture once had an era when people understood the things around them in a way that we don't. They crafted what they needed from the materials at hand. Many cultures still operate in this way. But our modern wealthy western culture has slowly distanced ourselves from this ability because of the unholy amount of readily available things to procure at great prices. In fact, many people have turned shopping into a skill in itself. But this falls far at the end of the chain of existence for these objects. Back at the beginning there is still a person creating, designing, building, innovating, all of the stuff we buy. Making is an attempt to back up to those earlier stages and understand manmade objects in a different way. It's called Maker's Knowledge.
It's not some mystic understanding, it's just the ability to look at something and perceive the steps to constructing it. For example, my Granddad was a Tarheel carpenter with no birth certificate and a 6th grade education. To make something out of wood, he just needed a pattern...by which he meant a picture...not an exploded step-by-step drawing. He could fathom the necessary steps to create it from just an image because he understood how woodwork was done. I'm looking right now at a table he made me from a notebook sketch of a Japanese design I saw in which the table top is removable so a blanket can be placed under the frame. (In this way when it's cold, people's body heat is shared while they have a firm surface to eat, drink, or play games on...very efficient and cozy. Some even put a small heater under the table to add warmth.)
Now, he's long dead, but I can do it with many things. I can see an object in a store or catalog and build it myself. Or even just dream it up and make it real. Most of the furniture in my house is stuff I've built or modified to suit my needs. Which leads to another aspect of Making: customization. But before I get into that, a bit more about Maker's Knowledge.
It isn't just about wood, as I said, Making refers more to technological or mechanically engineered sorts of items. With these items, people are given a certain level of access. A much smaller subset gains access to the 'repair and upgrade' parts of electronics. But only the smallest fraction of people actually understand how to build it. If it breaks, we just toss it and buy another one. But without Maker's Knowledge, what's going to happen when replacements are no longer so easily available? The objects will be lost along with the people who depend on them. Not to mention, that without this knowledge, we are at the mercy of whoever has it. We can only do what they allow us to do, for the fees they choose to charge us. We are slaves and not free people. We do not have access to the key means of production: the knowledge of how. I'm not saying there's some grand conspiracy that creates this dynamic...it's simply the unintended consequence of a rich society with ample resources...but that's a whole other topic. Here's an example closer to home.
Most people use a computer until it doesn't work. Then they go get a tour of the new features of the latest offerings and find out "what they can do with it". Then they buy it and adapt themselves to it's mode of operation until it again stops working. They may have the merest understanding of how it actually works inside and may think there is nothing else to do about it. That's just how it is, right? Without special tools and years of high-level training, you'll never be able to build your own machine. But this is entirely false. I learned to build computers on my own, with self-study of advice from other Makers. They are actually not so complicated at all. Even the software is not so difficult. With a little understanding, what was a black box which I simply had to expend funds on every few years has become a useful and beautiful machine that I can do anything with! Now granted, I'm not coding from scratch...but I could with more study. For my needs, I have found that components built by other Makers suit my needs just fine. So I partake of their knowledge and share mine. There's no threat in Makers sharing knowledge. We all make what we need for ourselves and are proud to share, even happy to since our skills arise from joy. Sharing knowledge is only threatening when our livelihood is tenuously built on others' lack. Bad career choice, sorry.
So once again, we are led to the customization aspect. Tools for the workers, not workers for the tools. How many features of your phone or computer or blender do you never use? How many times have you wished something did what it doesn't do? Part of Making is to be able to create what you need and nothing more, but exactly what you need and nothing less. It's a quest for harmony and balance. Whether that be a device to take digital pictures from far overhead, a bicycle that fits your body, ability, terrain, and use, or a piece of furniture that perfectly matches and nestles into the space available for it. You see, there was a time when most objects were like this. You only had one carriage throughout your life and it was altered to meet your needs as they changed. If you needed a table or a desk, you built it, or had someone build it, to fit the space and style and use. It would be unlike anyone elses', an expression of who you are. Making is an attempt to recapture this.
So granted, "making" and "makerspaces" and such are a fad. But at the heart is a real community and real ideals. Fads are often the vehicle by which ideals spread. Sure, no one needs a one-string electric cigar-box guitar or bicycle that rides backward. But in making them, people are learning new skills that apply elsewhere. They're exploring new ways of thinking, new ways of living, and new abilities. They are becoming more independent and whole, more connected to their roots, and to the roots of all people. They are improving their own chances of thriving and perhaps even of surviving.
I think a true story will illustrate. During hurricane Katrina, many people were trapped in attics and rooftops. Many of them also had cell phones and video cameras. One family videoed the devastation from their roof where they had barely been able to break through and now sat, the mother in total shock and nearly catatonic. The father bemoaning the impending death that awaited them and pleading to no one for help. Another family had gathered themselves and their neighbors into their finished attic with a full cooler of supplies and a full chest of tools. They had freed their boat to float from the trailer and moored it to the roof. Then they videoed as they called out to a fear-paralyzed family to get in an abandoned boat and float across to them. When they got no response they set about rigging up a harness and pull line which they boated over and proceeded to haul the entire family across with them. The first family thought they could always go get what they needed. Life would never change and they never thought about it. Until that illusion was shattered and they couldn't cope. The second family had Maker's Knowledge. They understood that they were capable and adaptable and they used those skills they had built. They were happy and thriving even in a one of the worst disasters the US has ever seen.
I'm not saying we're all going to face this kind of test. But Making is beneficial even up through this type of problem. At least, we get a custom life with unique and beautiful things, and develop some very healthy skills that keep body strong and mind sharp. At most, we use our skills to better the lives of people who can't do for themselves. There's no downside. So bring it on. Make, create, grow, innovate. These are virtues and the more the better.
I think the fad is being fueled somewhat, at least in my friend's circles, by forward thinking librarians and teachers who are rightfully trying to adapt outdated institutions to a world of increasing technology, consumerism, and independent and instant access to information. It is a fallacy of our thinking to believe things will stay the same. But the truth is, many of our seemingly permanent institutions are not nearly as permanent as we think. For example, public school as we know it is only about a century old, and high school was not even common until the mid 20th century. So in short, these places and professionals are trying to adapt to changing conditions...and this is good, even if they jump on fad trends in the process.
So, back to Making. My friend comments that it's nothing new. And that is right. In fact, for me, this is part of the attraction. You see, every culture once had an era when people understood the things around them in a way that we don't. They crafted what they needed from the materials at hand. Many cultures still operate in this way. But our modern wealthy western culture has slowly distanced ourselves from this ability because of the unholy amount of readily available things to procure at great prices. In fact, many people have turned shopping into a skill in itself. But this falls far at the end of the chain of existence for these objects. Back at the beginning there is still a person creating, designing, building, innovating, all of the stuff we buy. Making is an attempt to back up to those earlier stages and understand manmade objects in a different way. It's called Maker's Knowledge.
It's not some mystic understanding, it's just the ability to look at something and perceive the steps to constructing it. For example, my Granddad was a Tarheel carpenter with no birth certificate and a 6th grade education. To make something out of wood, he just needed a pattern...by which he meant a picture...not an exploded step-by-step drawing. He could fathom the necessary steps to create it from just an image because he understood how woodwork was done. I'm looking right now at a table he made me from a notebook sketch of a Japanese design I saw in which the table top is removable so a blanket can be placed under the frame. (In this way when it's cold, people's body heat is shared while they have a firm surface to eat, drink, or play games on...very efficient and cozy. Some even put a small heater under the table to add warmth.)
Now, he's long dead, but I can do it with many things. I can see an object in a store or catalog and build it myself. Or even just dream it up and make it real. Most of the furniture in my house is stuff I've built or modified to suit my needs. Which leads to another aspect of Making: customization. But before I get into that, a bit more about Maker's Knowledge.
It isn't just about wood, as I said, Making refers more to technological or mechanically engineered sorts of items. With these items, people are given a certain level of access. A much smaller subset gains access to the 'repair and upgrade' parts of electronics. But only the smallest fraction of people actually understand how to build it. If it breaks, we just toss it and buy another one. But without Maker's Knowledge, what's going to happen when replacements are no longer so easily available? The objects will be lost along with the people who depend on them. Not to mention, that without this knowledge, we are at the mercy of whoever has it. We can only do what they allow us to do, for the fees they choose to charge us. We are slaves and not free people. We do not have access to the key means of production: the knowledge of how. I'm not saying there's some grand conspiracy that creates this dynamic...it's simply the unintended consequence of a rich society with ample resources...but that's a whole other topic. Here's an example closer to home.
Most people use a computer until it doesn't work. Then they go get a tour of the new features of the latest offerings and find out "what they can do with it". Then they buy it and adapt themselves to it's mode of operation until it again stops working. They may have the merest understanding of how it actually works inside and may think there is nothing else to do about it. That's just how it is, right? Without special tools and years of high-level training, you'll never be able to build your own machine. But this is entirely false. I learned to build computers on my own, with self-study of advice from other Makers. They are actually not so complicated at all. Even the software is not so difficult. With a little understanding, what was a black box which I simply had to expend funds on every few years has become a useful and beautiful machine that I can do anything with! Now granted, I'm not coding from scratch...but I could with more study. For my needs, I have found that components built by other Makers suit my needs just fine. So I partake of their knowledge and share mine. There's no threat in Makers sharing knowledge. We all make what we need for ourselves and are proud to share, even happy to since our skills arise from joy. Sharing knowledge is only threatening when our livelihood is tenuously built on others' lack. Bad career choice, sorry.
So once again, we are led to the customization aspect. Tools for the workers, not workers for the tools. How many features of your phone or computer or blender do you never use? How many times have you wished something did what it doesn't do? Part of Making is to be able to create what you need and nothing more, but exactly what you need and nothing less. It's a quest for harmony and balance. Whether that be a device to take digital pictures from far overhead, a bicycle that fits your body, ability, terrain, and use, or a piece of furniture that perfectly matches and nestles into the space available for it. You see, there was a time when most objects were like this. You only had one carriage throughout your life and it was altered to meet your needs as they changed. If you needed a table or a desk, you built it, or had someone build it, to fit the space and style and use. It would be unlike anyone elses', an expression of who you are. Making is an attempt to recapture this.
So granted, "making" and "makerspaces" and such are a fad. But at the heart is a real community and real ideals. Fads are often the vehicle by which ideals spread. Sure, no one needs a one-string electric cigar-box guitar or bicycle that rides backward. But in making them, people are learning new skills that apply elsewhere. They're exploring new ways of thinking, new ways of living, and new abilities. They are becoming more independent and whole, more connected to their roots, and to the roots of all people. They are improving their own chances of thriving and perhaps even of surviving.
I think a true story will illustrate. During hurricane Katrina, many people were trapped in attics and rooftops. Many of them also had cell phones and video cameras. One family videoed the devastation from their roof where they had barely been able to break through and now sat, the mother in total shock and nearly catatonic. The father bemoaning the impending death that awaited them and pleading to no one for help. Another family had gathered themselves and their neighbors into their finished attic with a full cooler of supplies and a full chest of tools. They had freed their boat to float from the trailer and moored it to the roof. Then they videoed as they called out to a fear-paralyzed family to get in an abandoned boat and float across to them. When they got no response they set about rigging up a harness and pull line which they boated over and proceeded to haul the entire family across with them. The first family thought they could always go get what they needed. Life would never change and they never thought about it. Until that illusion was shattered and they couldn't cope. The second family had Maker's Knowledge. They understood that they were capable and adaptable and they used those skills they had built. They were happy and thriving even in a one of the worst disasters the US has ever seen.
I'm not saying we're all going to face this kind of test. But Making is beneficial even up through this type of problem. At least, we get a custom life with unique and beautiful things, and develop some very healthy skills that keep body strong and mind sharp. At most, we use our skills to better the lives of people who can't do for themselves. There's no downside. So bring it on. Make, create, grow, innovate. These are virtues and the more the better.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
New
All things new. I've heard this countless times, but today it was brought to my mind in a new light. I have often understood the regeneration thing in terms of a one-time incident. That's actually the sense of the words in 2 Corinthians 5:17. I just checked. So I'm not saying that's wrong. Just that the verse, and the one in Revelation 21:5, was spoken to me today with a new meaning. And when the Lord of Spirits speaks it, I've learned to listen as it is intended in the moment.
I was thinking about letting go of the masks we wear and about living as if the past was dead, when I realized that I often think of that regeneration as a point that happened once and everything after that point is now held to my account. So while I know we are forgiven past and future and all that, the fact is, I feel responsible for my failures after that point of regeneration. This is a heavy burden for someone who has been in the Blood for years...and by some theologies years even before that. That's a lot of time to screw things up. A lot of time to be faced with one's own inadequacy...all the more clearly visible because of the new clarity of mind that comes with the Spirit. But in the split second that these thoughts crossed my mind He spoke to me that all things are made new repeatedly. That same joy and release one feels at first understanding that one is set free from the guilt of their offenses is mine each and every moment.
It's as if I am walking forward and shedding weight and armor with every step and with every step there is more and more to keep shedding for miles and miles and years and years, a trail of shed material falling away and ever more beneath it, all the while by slightest degrees the glory of the new creation becoming more and more manifest through it.
I was thinking about letting go of the masks we wear and about living as if the past was dead, when I realized that I often think of that regeneration as a point that happened once and everything after that point is now held to my account. So while I know we are forgiven past and future and all that, the fact is, I feel responsible for my failures after that point of regeneration. This is a heavy burden for someone who has been in the Blood for years...and by some theologies years even before that. That's a lot of time to screw things up. A lot of time to be faced with one's own inadequacy...all the more clearly visible because of the new clarity of mind that comes with the Spirit. But in the split second that these thoughts crossed my mind He spoke to me that all things are made new repeatedly. That same joy and release one feels at first understanding that one is set free from the guilt of their offenses is mine each and every moment.
It's as if I am walking forward and shedding weight and armor with every step and with every step there is more and more to keep shedding for miles and miles and years and years, a trail of shed material falling away and ever more beneath it, all the while by slightest degrees the glory of the new creation becoming more and more manifest through it.
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