Under the Bridge

Did some work on a Rolls Royce Corniche the other day. Initially I was quite rapt and pleased to be working on such a prestigious machine. As I explored the clever (though stupidly over-engineered) braking system and lent over the $15K grill to set the ignition timing I could appreciate the reputation these cars have for quality and class. But after the the intrigue had worn off and I started to notice the leaking gearbox, dripping self levelling system, corroded hoses and a piece of blue tack stopping the window rattling it struck me that even the best things in this world turn to crap without constant maintenance.

And that’s how things are. Without an input to maintain order and function everything deteriorates until it can no longer function. Rolls Royces, Kias, trees, animals, humans, stars, all wearing out. Isaiah says  “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” (51.6).

I look forward to a day when things stop dying and decay can no longer work. When everything  has greater than Rolls Royce prestige and quality and appearance will be what actually is. Until then, whether we are a grotty Rolls or a sparkling Deawoo we all face the physical decay and reality of a dying world. What does that lead us to?

“Only in the last few hundred years… have reason and logic come to dominate the mindset of mainstream Western civilization… what did it supplant? Emotional responses. The “thoughts of the heart… Our utter dependence on reason and cool logic is a recent cultural phenomenon…” (Hemflelt, Minirth, Meier, “Love Is A Choice”, 1982.

Like most people I like logic, deductive reasoning, analytical investigations and the like. Logic is the use of valid reason given a set of information. Often people challenge my logic, sometimes I change my mind based on others showing me my faulty logic. Sometimes I see flaws in theirs that reinforces my own position. Many decisions we make in life are based on logic, “that would be the logical choice”. And yet logic doesn’t entirely satisfy me.

Having just spent a few days analysing financial figures, market trends and available resources I am in a good position to make some logical business choices. But it doesn’t feel right. Some call it intuition, some say listen to your heart, others would call it spiritual. Wherever it  might come from, it is an emotional response that does not add up to what logic tells me.

What should we do with, logic, or intuition? I extol the virtues of logic and the centuries of benefit we have reaped through its application, and yet many find that at the core of their being is an emotional response that can’t be ignored. Perhaps the answer is that we should go with our intuition and temper it with logic. After all there are many good things that are not logical at all, like forgiveness, like love, like life.

So I think I’ll work it all out in my head… and then go with my heart!

Another repost from a previous blog.

Its an old saying, “You can’t see the wood for the trees.” and despite my English heritage I misunderstood it as a child because I thought of the wood as dressed timber rather than a forest. Its also one of those old sayings that has merit. How often do we miss the big picture because of the pressing details?

Its something I have to be constantly watching myself for. When the four year old takes you to the edge of sanity its so easy to see only that tree and forget the wood that is life ahead. When the credit card threatens to reach its limit its so easy to only see that tree and forget the wood which is the investments you’ve made. When a problem arises with a friend, doesn’t that tree block our view of the wood that is years traveled together in friendship?

My wood is everlasting and my view getting better.

As I begin blogging here I’m first reposting some well received thoughts from my previous blog. This one from a couple of years ago;

Gardens don’t interest me that much. Yep if you’ve got a nice one I like it, but if the lawn’s mowed and the gate opens I’m happy. So it was interesting to spend the day driving nearly 50 old gardening fans around various open gardens.

Much like any group of like minded people they focused their conversation on the interest that joined them. In fact their enthusiasm lasted 11 hours, discussing the best fertilizers, bulbs, and ground covers, sowing times, drainage systems and exotic names. Personally I don’t know the difference between a pansy and a geranium, as I discovered when I asked a gentleman to stop me backing the bus when I got to the the pansies…. not. But they were united in a common interest and, while they did digress into old age gossip at times, they were there for the glory of gardening and boy must some gardens be glorious.

And so it is with people who meet with an interest in God. We can’t shut up about it can we. All we ever hear amongst us is God this and Jesus that and….. wait a minute I think someone talked about politics…. oh and football… mmm and food and… oh well maybe Christians don’t talk much about what interests them after all.