Have you noticed my sidebar image these days? I love how "Nothing is Written in Stone" is actually written into the stone. Ever heard someone say "Everything is Relative" or "There are No Absolutes"? Sure you have. Ever think about those statements.. about how they are 'Absolute' statements on 'Relativism'? You kind of think that someone might say it like this "Maybe Everything is Relative" or "There may be No Absolutes". Pretty funny when you think about it? I think that God must be laughing.. or maybe He is crying?I do think that many things in life are relative though. It almost has to be because we all have such different histories and experience life so differently. Sadly we sometimes condemn thoughts that are different than ours simply because a person's thought processes has developed differently than ours. We see this played out before our eyes almost every day as people making sweeping, and yet narrow, judgments on things that believe to be absolute truth and things they believe to be untrue.
On the flip-side I think that it is dangerous to embrace a world where there are no absolutes. A world such as this finds ways to explain away senseless killings in the name of a great cause.. as if the end ever justifies the means. This kind of a world seems to find ways to belittle and judge people who believe in absolutisms. A hedonistic ideology, where anything goes, is reflective of a world that embraces the idea that we are not our brother's keeper and loving our neighbor is optional. With that I give you one (of many) absolute that I embrace from the bible found in the book of first Corinthians:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.Love is an absolute necessity in our world. Sad that some see it as optional.
I would love to hear one absolute that you hold dear.. just one please.
Bob, I purposely avoid absolutes. In spite of the fact that some think I'm pretty radical in my political opinions, I shy away from being overly anything.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can think I'm absolute about is love. I try to love unconditionally, without limits and to feel compassion for everyone, no matter how much I may want to hate them. For everything other than love, there is a time and a place.
This past week, have been thinging alot about Romans 8:38-39.
ReplyDeleteFor I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sounds pretty absolute to me!
I've joked with people for years saying "There are absolutely no absolutes." Most get it and laugh, but occasionally someone gets really angry and defensive in which case I laugh. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGod so loved us that he did gives us absolutes. He gave us the absolute benefit of the blood of Christ. We don't have to guess or gamble what it takes to live with God for all eternity. He loves us so much that he gives us absolute right and wrongs, and where we may fall to relativism, he absolutely gives us grace.
ReplyDeleteJesus is Lord.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Bob, love is a must not an option. ~Ron
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I want you to follow up to this topic :D
ReplyDelete-Kind Regards,
Cornelius