meditations

Meditations in a toolshed points out two fundamental perspectives we have in our everyday lives. These two, looking along and looking at, exposes significant strengths and weaknesses each of us succumbs to. The main weakness of looking along at an experience is that we have no way to intimately absorb the complete nature of the event. For example, if we see a man accidentally smash his thumb while hammering a nail we see his pain. We may even know to many degrees what his pain feels like. But, if we have not smashed our thumbs under hammers we cannot understand him. Thankfully, as a Christian, Christ comes into each of our hearts and has had his thumb smashed for us and with us. Now, although we see pain, although we can know depths of pain, and although we can only sympathize with others pain, Christ as our focal point transforms this experience into a supernatural experience where his glory can be reflected and worshipped. Now, pain however immeasurable, can be our source of love, humility, and worship! And, therefore the weakness becomes strength.

Looking at has strengths to it because, as said above, it ultimately points us to Christ. Also, looking at usually provides us with enough knowledge to discern if the experience is beneficial to our lives or if we should avoid it. In the case of the man and the hammer, we know that, by his reaction, and our some times limited understanding of pain, that we should be careful while hammering. Furthermore, we can look at the man's style of hammering and improve it. Again, as Christians, looking at others experiences is crucial to living in Christ. Simply, God gave us the good sense to look at others and at history to learn from it and grow closer to him.

Then, looking along with the experience, living it for ourselves is equally as essential. It is probably safe to say that people in general do not enjoy having their fingers smashed by a hammer. My argument would be, some times we need a good wack on the thumb to bring us back to the reality that Christ is our focal point. And that, even with a sore thumb, their is love to be learned.