If
you had to pick a torturous "fate worse than death," what
would it be? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page
1080).
The
first thing that comes to mind is to be sitting in a dentist chair
undergoing an excruciatingly painful root canal constantly trapped in
that position for the rest of my life. While this may not be the
worst thing possible, it does help get to a matter that would qualify
as a fate worse than death. And I speak of course of unendurable,
unrelieved, inescapable pain.
Interestingly,
the opposite would not be desirable either. I also would not look
forward to an experience of unrelieved and inescapable pleasure.
Unrelieved, inescapable anything would be hell on earth in my book.
Intermissions are extremely valuable and necessary. Addictions of
any type never wear well.
This
line of thought returns us to the age old concept that balance is
key. One of the strongest arguments against pornography is that
obsession with it can chain us to addiction so that there is no
intermission from thinking about sex. So we find that even sex – an
absolute essential for survival of the race – cannot be an
unrelieved focus There is, after all, thankfully other work and play
that needs to be done.
The
listing of contrasts that are enhanced by balance are endless. I
would like to take the example of "just the facts" versus
boundless speculation. It is clear that problem-solving involves both
facts and speculation – that some balance between them is necessary
for progress.
Also
subject to the need for balance is that contrasting cynicism and
hope. For example, it is deadly to think that human nature is
hopelessly and fatally flawed (cynicism). It is equally dangerous to
think that hope alone is efficacious and there is no need to account
for or consider the negatives of human nature
Let
us pray for the freedom and peace that is only possible through
having balance in our lives.
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