- We have all heard it – most of us have said it: opposites attract. It is most often used regarding human personal relationships. Paula Abdul had a hit record in the 80’s about the subject.
However, the principle is not limited to human nature. Besides, most modern mind scientists (psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.) say the “opposites attract” theory of human nature is incorrect anyhow. For what it is worth, I believe that branch of science is quackery – you can’t get inside another’s mind unless they let you. But I digress. Anyone who has studied science knows that in magnetism opposite poles attract while like poles repel. I find that branch or part of science fascinating due to its usefulness in real world applications – maglev trains for instance.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120504-the-floating-future-of-trains
According to Newton’s 3rd law, “For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction”. This law has held up through the test of time. It has been tested by science, and we encounter it so often in our everyday life that we just take it for granted. I had a conversation with a dad a couple of years ago who was concerned because his son couldn’t distinguish between hot and cold. It made perfect sense to me however. Once you reach a certain temperature, cold burns in much the same way as heat. Liquid nitrogen, at -320 degrees F, freezes on contact. A burn from liquid nitrogen would look and feel very similar to a serious second or third degree fire burn. In fact, I had a joke that I used to tell my boss at the freezer after extended hours spent in -10 degree rooms. It goes, “I’ve been lied to all my life. Hell ain’t hot. It is just so cold you think it is hot.”
But most opposites don’t attract – in fact, most opposites are as far apart as night and day. (see what I did there?) Hey – while I’m on the night and day subject – I have always been fascinated with the concept of “black” and “white” in any and all their uses, but mainly in the color spectrum. It still blows my mind to think that black is the absence of color. Think about that for a second. Shouldn’t it be invisible then? How can you see something that ain’t there? Maybe the ninjas are on to something huh? Anyhow, I also can’t figure out how to make white using all the colors either. When I try it, all I make is a mess. Try it sometime – see what comes out. The only way I can make white paint is to buy it at the hardware store. Jamey Johnson had a song a couple of years back that stopped me in my tracks. I have analyzed it nine ways to Sunday – probably over analyzed it to be honest with you. But I took two things away from it I would like to share with you. First, as much as I would like to see the world in black and white, I can’t – this world is beautiful and ugly and contains every color our Creator ever made. If I choose to live seeing it in black and white, I can, but the song describes what I will miss. Second, in three generations we have gone from black and white photos in albums to digital photos on iphones. I ain’t saying that is a bad thing – but sometimes the story needs to be TOLD, not captured by a digital picture or instagram or youtube. Enjoy “In Color” – p.s. a picture will never be worth a thousand words – at least not from the right person.
God used the rainbow as a promise to us that he wouldn’t destroy the planet again by water. I like this version of the song – although Kermit’s is near and dear to my heart as well.
Most people think science and religion are opposites. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, when done and viewed properly, they help validate each other. People often forget that the Bible itself is full of polar opposites, and we are warned from Genesis through Revelation, to watch out for them. Consider just a few: Jesus and Satan, good and evil, light and darkness, truth and falsehood, wisdom and foolishness, innocence and guilt, knowledge and ignorance, Heaven and Hell, design and chance, beauty and ugliness, beginning and end, sunrise and sunset, etc. During my religion classes I studied most of the world’s religions – and found that many have similarities to Christianity. The Dalai Lama, for example, has been working diligently to combine the efforts of religious and scientific leaders – something in the past that was unheard of. If people check their egos at the door and really come together searching for solutions to problems our world is facing, it is amazing what can be accomplished. Although the Buddhist religion is based on suffering as one of its “noble truths”, he is wise enough to see it another way. He says, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional…
We have bigger houses, but smaller families. More conveniences, but less time. We have knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicines but less health.” As someone who has experienced some pain in his life, I must agree with his assessment. There is a line in a song Garth Brooks sang that Tony Arata wrote called “The Dance” that says, “I could have missed the pain. But I’d have had to miss the dance.” Tony used the wrong word. Pain can be singular or plural, but it should be dance(s)…