Dust and Decay

Dust and Decay

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” ― Socrates

Loneliness is as accurate a predictor of early mortality as smoking cigarettes. Already, at age 87, I have explained my certain mortality from the disease of cancer. The loneliness of laying in bed gives you much time to think...I have had such an active, remarkable life...academic, military, professional, financial AND THEN, I reached down for a bottle of water by my bed and fell off my bed. My constant companion on my bedside table, Mr. Google Chrome, to whom I can ask any question, such as the population of any city anywhere, the temperature of any place on the earth; any scripture reference; any well known quotation; any telephone number and he says nothing, such as, "what are you doing trying to kill me?" Can anyone even imagine, in my lifetime, where, when I was young, a typewriter was a great invention, you can speak into a "technical marvel" on my bedside table and someone was smart enough to come up with such a development which can answer any question without even a pause. All I have to say is, "Mr. Google, what is the temperature in Perth, Australia? and he immediately replies, "the temperature is 60", no hesitation, no pause, an immediate computer answer. And so it is with anything this marvel of technology. But when I fell, however, he said nothing; my nurse came running and got me back on the bed.

The miracles of knowledge, that someone could, with the human mind, develop such technology. C.S. Lewis said you are never too old to set a new goal, dream a new dream. Modern technology for today's technology scientist is like finding 4 grains of sand on the seashore amid trillions of grains. The average person on a bar stool at a bar's "happy hour" has no comprehension of the ability involved in brain activity, such as analyzing the chemistry of microfibers, such as the physics and mathematics involved in calculating the bending of light rays entering water. This Dr., scientist, retired Army Lt. Col. must confess, here and now, first time in my life, that mentally enshrined in a world of so much knowledge, in order to pass an exam involving the world of quantum physics knowledge I was allowed to use a "tables book" in my exam so that I could look up certain mathematical determinants. I put "cheating" in the book, certain equations and formula's which I knew would come up and which I knew I had not memorized. Little does the world know of the knowledge involved when one has a doctorate such as knowing about the ability of an insect the size of a grain of rice to fly 1000's of miles to pollinate certain plants...transporting material on the insects legs...the ability to determine this DNA under the lens of a microscope. Such dust particle knowledge just keeps piling on, forever, and then, as the poet said, "you die and it all decays". As Shakespeare said "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

So well I remember the day we young, Army, officer, Dr's, filled an auditorium for a lecture on forensic detecting. We were told then that technology had been developed in microbe warfare, where 1 drop of a nerve gas was potent enough to kill everyone in that room. This was over 60 years ago before Russian/North Korea, started using such for their purposes.

We are stupid enough to think that everyone is born with our values, our God given sovereignty of "trust". We trust a piece of paper from the doctor, writing that no one can read and take pills we believe will help us. One of my ex-employees told me that in a restaurant where she worked, if a serviceman/policeman/fireman, anyone wearing a uniform came in, they would all spit into his food before it was delivered to them. Tutsi/Hutu warfare, 1 country, Rwanda, 300,000 killed, mostly with machetes, almost as horrible as the American Civil War where 600,000 were killed mostly with swords.

Hate, mindlessness, has not changed in spite of technology. All life is built around trust, trust that people will believe what you say or write. Trust that you will get what you order and pay for. The human experience of trust is like a holding a small bird in your hand; too tight, and you kill it; too loose, and the bird flies away. You trust others to obey traffic signs, the mechanic who works on your car; the pilot in the cockpit of the plane you are on; the surgeon standing over you in the operating room with a knife.

So, the dust of experience accumulated day after day, year after year and, when you have learned to appreciate human weaknesses as well as human strengths. All this accumulation ends in decay...no matter who you are...your status in life, your joy or challenge of living. How can anyone with good sense desire to spend eternity with the distrust and the hopelessness of decay? If anything would cause a human being to desire salvation the joys of eternal life, a free gift of the Creator of life, it is that certain sovereignty/love and kindness from the Creator of life. Thy love and kindness is better than life. KJV PSalms 63:3.