Monday, July 16, 2007

Paradoxes

I witnessed a conversation yesterday between two people. The basic topic was about the goodness of God versus evil in the world. The discuss hinged around God's control and man's part. Not much was settled. There seems to be almost an unsolvable paradox surrounding these questions. Rather than regurgitate the arguments, I would like to list several things that seem to me to be true, and pertinent.
  • God is good.
  • God is in control.
  • Mankind has free-will ... even to the point of defying God.
  • God limits the use of His power to allow mankind to partner with God.
  • Mankind does play a part in carrying out God's will.
How this all connects together and works out in any particular situation? I'm not sure anyone can answer that question.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Salt of the Earth

Thor Heyerdahl, in Kon Tiki, was half way across the Pacific on a balsa wood raft to prove that it was possible for the Polynesian islands to have been populated from South America. The water they stored in barrels was beginning to run out. They would not have enough to get them through to the islands.

They could call in the support boat and leave. But it would mean the purpose of their voyage would remain unanswered at best. Failed at worst. What would these south American sailors have done? They could not drink the sea water. They did not have enough fresh water.

Someone asked the question about supplementing the fresh water with sea water. By using a small amount of sea water mixed with the fresh, could they stretch out the consumption of water enough to reach their goal? So, they tried an experiment. They mixed a small amount of sea water with some fresh water.

They created a mixture that they could drink. And it did increase the supply of water. But it did something else. They discovered that their need for water decreased. They rate of consumption went down.

This probably has something to do with electrolytes. Salt is more than a spice. More than a preservative. It is a component of the body that facilitates proper hydration. Proper hydration is necessary for proper functioning of the human body. Electrolyte imbalance can result in sickness and death.

Jesus compared His family with salt. He said they were salt for the world. Followers of Jesus are necessary for the earth to function correctly. Without them, it will slowly die.