The Three Syllables that Induce Fear

“Well Lori, I am glad you are back in Houston now. The first case of Ebola in the US is in Dallas.”

“Hey Dad, guess where I’m going this weekend!” And I traveled to Dallas with no worries to celebrate my friend’s birthday.

But after hearing that a Mr. Duncan in Dallas had Ebola, I worried. My first thought was how terrible. I hope that person is not going to die alone and unattended. I thought of all the horrible pictures on the internet of people bleeding out their eyes. What a horrible way to die.

I was not scared that I was going to catch Ebola from Mr. Duncan, for my chances were practically zero. But I could not deny that it was scary to think about having to die from it. So then I wondered why. Why does dying from Ebola bring about so much fear? Am I afraid of the pain? Am I afraid of dying? Yes. But we as human are all afraid of pain and death, and that healthy fear keeps us alive. (I am afraid to die so I will stay in my lane and not crash into the car beside me.) (I am afraid of pain so I will not touch that hot iron skillet without a potholder.) But once I have contracted Ebola pain and death are eminent and fearing them will not help me, not feel pain, or not die.

As a Christian, I realize that if I have Ebola I do not need to fear suffering or death, as Christ has sanctified one and conquered the other. When I remember my faith the fear that comes with Ebola should flee.

What is the root fear then that Ebola evokes within us? It is a fear that comes with not being able to control the virus, (Those plastic suits and face masks are not really invincible…the nurses taking care of Mr. Duncan were still infected), and the uncertainty of catching it if an epidemic breaks out in the states. It is a fear of not having control over your life.

Ebola has made me realize that I fear surrendering my entire life to God.

Literally

Life is short.

it's only four letters.

3+4=7 Coincidence?

There are four cardinal directions. North , South, East and West
There are four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice

The first set shows man how to get places on this earth, and where things are relative to each other.
The second set is handy when living in society, they are like a key or guide to relating well with others in a community.

There are three directions in space: x,y and z
There are three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity

The first set orients one where they are in space and time and motion
The second set orients the self to an ordered perception of themselves within time space and history.

The cardinal directions helps us live well with each other in the flesh and material world
The "tri-oriental" directions help us live well with ourselves, created in the image and likeness of God.

Perhaps this is why 7 is considered a "lucky" or "good" or  "perfect" or "religious" number
7 = 3+4 

Could 7 be a sum of how man is to live in a way that fares well for his society and soul. 


For fun: but not random

North: Prudence
because Prudence or Wisdom is that which we generally tend to ask from above.

Temperance: South 
because temperance has to do with our daily lives down on earth and involves our basic material needs and goods. (food,reproduction,provision)

Fortitude: East 
Just as the rising sun may grant us new hope, so does Fortitude help us stand bright in the darkest situations and move forward.

Justice: West 
Justice is an active force. Just as the sun sets and emits red light, so are we willing to shed blood and give our all to the last dying day in the name of Justice.

Primary Things

Colors. I like colors.

Colors are like numbers to me.

I wonder how many colors there are. 

There are only so many different wavelengths of light 

that we can identify as distinct colors. 

That is because our eyes can only receive a certain range of  wavelengths 

in which our brain translates to images and color.

But does that mean that the other wave lengths of light do not have colors?

We have Ultra Violet light, which we can't see and yet call a color.   

What if it is that all light has a color but we just can't see it? 

What if there are more than three primary colors?

What if we gave each prime number a primary color?

Then each number would have a specific color, or amount of color, (4 would be the same color as 16 but 16 would be bolder or more dense, or have a greater area even though the prime roots would be the color 2)

And what would the purpose of doing this be? Well, each number then (although each has it's special prime factors) would be characterized into something that one could experience. If numbers could be expressed as a color with certain properties, one can compare it to other numbers, not abstractly by its mathematical properties, but by its sensible properties. Color, texture, viscosity, density, ect. are all properties of the the material world that cause us, not only to sense but respond to and react to. 

And who would care to experience numbers? That is not the point. How is it that the human mind works? How is it that we can understand abstract ideas?

God created of himself. He is tangible and can be experienced and known, not only in abstract concepts but also in a tangible reality. God became Man so that Man could be restored and become like God. 

It is hard to interact with a number or have any feelings, or relationship with it, but its easier to know a painting, or enjoy a soft blanket, or confidently wear a favorite styled outfit. We as humans can easily identify with art. But just think, all that color, style, texture, shapes, are abstract concepts which can be easily known. 

God is omnipotent. An idea "sublime" "abstract," but we experience Him in all of created things as everything is of Him. One just can't escape his Love. Let yourself be embraced.

Following God's Quill

I was helping one of the girls I nanny with a summery of different Saints lives. 

One of the chapters was about St. Joan

I asked her, "What are some important things from the story that you remember?" One of her responses was

"She made the prince a king!"

Latter it dawned on me that that was really significant to God for this one person at that time to become King. So much so that a young girl was given visions and voices from God to lead not only  victories on the battle field, but also social victories. She put the political structure back in order. She put a king back on France's thrown.  

It was really important for some reason for these victories to happen. France as we know and joke has lost many battles, and many wars, but for some reason, it was important for France to win victories in the hundreds year war such as in the battle of Orleans. What did one small victory matter in the long scheme of things? Well, it mattered to those individuals fighting and it mattered to God, for he sent Joan, a village girl, to lead the army.

St. Joan of Arc's story made me realize that God does care about our political situations, our military battles, as well as individual souls. 

Perhaps the French Dauphin Charles did not think it really mattered if he was king or not. Well apparently it mattered a great deal, just as much as it matters a great deal to God that we overcome the sins (cowardice, sloth, pride...ect)  that are holding us back from His will. 

Your story is important to God for some reason. Don't be afraid to live it out and make a lasting difference. The author of History knows what he is writing, Don't be afraid to follow his quill. We do make a lasting difference, and who we are and what we do does matter. 

The virtue the girl saw in the story of St. Joan was Obedience.

Random?

Have  you ever taken a look at the world around you and found similarities? The sky is blue and its my favorite color, and my car is even blue. I have ten fingers and there are ten different numbers that are used to make up all the different numbers in the world. What happens if we reflect on such things we take for granted?

 If we put a number to everything we can make with our hands.......will we ever run out of things to make? Are there not an infinite number of items we humans will produce with our hands as humans advance through history, from a child's homemade paper snowflake to the engineer's and scientist's first moon colonization materials?  And all of those materials are created with the help of our ten digits.

Ok, that thought about numbers and our ten digits is a bit silly, but is it not true? 

As far as the blue similarities, how often do we stop and appreciate the blue sky? It is beautiful, and it is meant for us to enjoy, just like if we have a chance to choose the color of our car, we choose a color we will enjoy, either because it is our favorite color, or it is a color that satisfies our rationally. "Grey, so it will not look as dirty." White, so it will not be so hot." We not only create a home that is to our liking by choosing things at times that we appreciate,  but our natural  home on earth is here for us to enjoy. Snow is to play in; Ice, to give us days off and forcing us to be with each other; waves to splash in and surf. Beauty lets us know we belong. Perhaps that is why a man will marry a beautiful women. He belongs with her. 

Jesus and Newton

Jesus said many things. One thing He said is  "Unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3)

You may argue over what the kingdom of heaven is and weather you care to enter, but I find it more interesting that Jesus connects, or makes room for a connection between turning and children.

One of the fun things my sister and I did when we were young and playing together was spin while listening to the Alleluia song from Handles Messiah.  We had a long empty wooden dining room where we could just spin and spin and spin. I don't think this is what Jesus meant when he said "turn and become like children", but spinning sure was fun.

In my, college English class on Dante, I learned that the word "repent" means to turn around. Children then, I suppose, are constantly repenting. Children have to be constantly re-directed. Much of  this redirecting involves turning around. "Peter, come back, get away from the road!" "No.,..John, turn around your bedroom is this way." "Stop, come back, and finish wiping the table." In all of these scenario's the child has to stop what they are doing and then change their direction of motion. We also know that older children are not very easily physically turned around, but that a change of mind, a turn of mind, will move the child or teen to obey or behave more responsibly.

A child is most easily turned. Why? Well, the number one reason is physical. A child can be physically picked up and turned around facing the right way. Children overall seem to be very sensitive in mind, they are learning so much every day, and are even sensitive in soul, they tend to respond appropriately to right and wrong actions

Have you ever seen a child, laugh while eating a stolen cookie right in front of your face?  The child knows he did something wrong and acts in a way according to that disobedience: pridefully. When you send them to their room afterwards, will they not most readily cry either in anger or remorse? Have you ever had a two year old, grab some non-appropriate object and then run away to hide with it? Do they not most readily feel ashamed such that they suddenly run and hide? Though it might take a while for a child to understand that others feel pain, they are most ready to cry out if they get hurt (in most cases). Children also seem have a great sense of justice. This is often seen when they are learning to share. But are they not also able to simply distribute Mercy? When I gave a four year old girl a new coloring book, her three year old brother calls out repeatedly, "I want that! I want that! I want that!" Oops, on my part. (I showed him one of his own coloring books that he already had, colored with him and he was happy) His sister though after taking a turn coloring in the new one, offered him a turn. She even gave me a precious sticker in thanksgiving for the gift.

The point being, we as adults have lost our sensitivity of person. We have become stuck. If somebody tries to pick us up against our will we can hit them victoriously because we are strong and heavy. We are stuck in our OCD ways and will not let our mind's be opened to new ideas because it makes us uncomfortable to do something different. We run away from feeling bad when we cause hurt, (how dare we do something wrong or mess up) and then celebrate our bad as good, and shut out all such guilty feeling, angry feeling, or any real feeling at all.

Do we feel shame or remorse? Are we open to learning or seeing a better way, or to appreciating another color (besides our favorite),? Are we willing to get out of our chair and help our roommate or spouse in doing the dishes when asked, or when we see a need for help? Or do we try to stop feeling, stop learning, and stop moving?

Be not afraid to turn, to become sensitive to the world around you. For when you turn, repent, accelerate, there is so much power under your control to do as you wish! And if you can stomach it, try spinning sometime to  music. Not only is turning powerful, its also just for fun!

Perhaps Jesus words could be understood as "Unless you accelerate and have fun, you will...(wait for it,)...... not have fun!"

Newtons second Law works perfectly here.
F=(mass)(acceleration)
Fun=(You-body-mind-soul)(moving/turning)