When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem...On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him...When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
How often have you wanted to send "fire" down on those who do not agree with you? I think it is far more common than any of us would like to admit.
I said it before and I am going to say it again. The biggest problem with humanity is that we take ourselves way too seriously.
Not too long ago, I got into a debate with an anonymous commentator who insisted on telling me that lightsabers do not really exist. I immediately disagreed. Lightsabers, like unicorns, really exist in the movies, on the movie set, in toy stores, and in family homes. This person was then forced to rephrase their statement, insisting lightsabers do not "really" exist, and that what I see are only "representations" of lightsabers. Again, I disagreed. If lightsabers do not "really" exist, then how can we know if these "representations" really represent the "real" thing that does not really exist in the first place? [I know this is confusing, but it isn't if you really think about it.]
In other words, if the real thing does not really exist, then the representation is the only real thing, and everything else is just our imagination or intuition.
Oh boy...
Well, to make matters worse, I then turned the tables on this person and insisted on the existence of real-life lightsabers, commonly known as lasers of military grade. They really do exist and hurt!
Of course, this person, once again, disagreed with me, noting that the word lightsaber comes from Star Wars and that even their little son knows that. Now the problem with this response is not that their son knows of the Star Wars movie series, but that he may only know of Star Wars movie series.
It turns out lightsabers are on their way. Star Wars fans could soon have their very very-own, real-life lightsabers following research published by scientists from Harvard and MIT. Wow!
“It’s not an inapt analogy to compare this to lightsabers,” Harvard professor of physics Mikhail Lukin told the Gazette. “When these photons interact with each other, they’re pushing against and deflecting each other. The physics of what’s happening in these molecules is similar to what we see in the movies.” [Read it here.]
What I find most exhilarating about all of this is its timing. God is so good! Out of all the examples this person could have chosen to debate with me, they picked the worst possible one! How funny!!!
What is the lesson learned? It is only a matter of time when what we imagine becomes real, for we were created in the image and likeness of the great One who imagined it all and it became real.
That's probably why the Lord was so patient with those who did not agree with Him. He knew. Wait. Given it some time. Be patient with those who disagree with you. Soon enough it will all be made clear.
Fire from Heaven. Christ rebuked his followers when they suggested calling down fire from heaven. Great! They listened to Him. Now will our leaders listen to the Lord when they insist on using their lightsabers to send fire down from the heavens? The way things are going, I'm not so sure. We can only pray.
May the Force - Lord - be with you.
Many moons ago, I used to watch a black and white TV series called "Science Fiction Theater". In the years that followed, I saw many of the concepts portrayed on that show become a reality. Holography was one of those concepts. I had a friend who was a physicist. He was working on infrared holography. To this day, I love science fiction, because it shows us what could be.
ReplyDeleteWhew. When I saw the light sabers as the title picture, I was worried for a minute!
ReplyDeleteWhew! When I saw the light sabers as today's title picture, I was worried for a minute!
ReplyDelete" if the real thing does not really exist, then the representation is the only real thing, and everything else is just our imagination or intuition"
ReplyDeleteFather, you do realize this statement invalidates your point. If someone can imagine something that does not exist, that which is imagined does not actually exist whether or not it can be represented in real life. Nobody would argue that the representation is not real, but it is not the same as the object imagined.
And I don't know anyone who would confuse a "military grade laser" with lightsaber, real or imaginary.
" if the real thing does not really exist, then the representation is the only real thing, and everything else is just our imagination or intuition"
ReplyDeleteLet's break it down for a moment.
If something does not "really" exist, then the representation is the only real thing. I hope this part is clear. After all, who can say that my sketch of a light saber is not the real thing? Or my lego light saber is not the real thing?
"Everything else is just our imagination or intuition."
What I am saying here is if I have not made a sketch or a lego lightsaber, then it only exists in my imagination. If I know that light sabers exist, then it is only in my intuition.
And I don't know anyone who would confuse a "military grade laser" with lightsaber, real or imaginary.
The scientists at MIT and Harvard are. They're calling their device a light saber.
I wonder what George Lucas thinks of it? I wonder what Roddenberry thinks of NASA calling their spacecraft the Enterprise.
"The scientists at MIT and Harvard are. They're calling their device a light saber.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what George Lucas thinks of it? I wonder what Roddenberry thinks of NASA calling their spacecraft the Enterprise."
I would guess Lucas is amused, but knows the MIT/Harvard device is not a lightsaber, no matter what they call it. Even from your quote, they say it is an analogy. I'm sure Roddenberry would have been flattered, but would have known the space shuttle is not the Enterprise.
"If something does not "really" exist, then the representation is the only real thing."
The representation is A real thing, it is not THE real thing.
Let's try something else, if I may. What is a time machine? I think everyone would agree that it is a device that allows someone to travel at a rate of time different than that which would be normally experienced.
Would you argue that the time machine from the movie "The Time Machine" is a real time machine since it is a representation of one? But it does not function as one, since the real object cannot cause a person to travel through time. So is it really a time machine? No, time machines do not exist even if representations do.
The representation is A real thing, it is not THE real thing.
ReplyDeleteHOW CAN YOU SAY THAT IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE REAL THING IS - what it looks like and how it really works?
Hence, the representation ceases to be a representation. How do you know what a lightsaber looks like if there are no real lightsabers? Is it because you saw it in a movie or because George Lucas tells you so????
Let's try nothing else.
No. It's a waste of time, since you cannot comprehend the logic and the reasoning behind my argument.
A Time Machine. What is a time Machine? Is it defined by a movie or by you? Of course not. Everything is a time machine that moves in time. A Human being is a time machine. A history book is a sort of time machine. A plane is a time machine. After all, they all travel IN TIME. Right?
Everything that exists is not only "A" real thing but "THE" REAL THING. The only thing that prohibits it from being THE REAL thing is the inappropriate definition that is applied to the thing.
YOU SAID: "So is it really a time machine? No, time machines do not exist even if representations do."
YOUR WRONG AND FOR TWO REASONS:
1. Because your definition of "time machine" is incoherent.
2. Since your time machine does not exist the way you conceive it, you cannot say it is a representation of one. It is what it is: a real thing and THE REAL THING: a toy or a prop.