CHILDREN AND THINKING

I have been fascinated by the sameness of children the world over.
This is a picture of children in North Korea. They could just as well
be from Central or South America, Japan, or many other countries.
The word I think of most to describe children is "innocence." I wonder
if children who grow up in an oppressive culture ever reach an age
where they begin to question what they have been taught. I tend to think they do. It's part of our human spirit. Even in our culture of democracy, teenagers often question the political and religious system they grow up in, and end up redefining their role in society differently from their parents. I think the ability to question authority is good, because otherwise people could never break free from patterns of bondage in their thinking. Someday North Korea may join South Korea, just as East Germany joined West Germany. It makes me examine my own world view. Do I have patterns of thinking that others consider harmful? I'm glad truth is not relative. Of course, that's my perspective. It seems that I am forced to look at everything through my own lens. I feel good about my lens. It gives me the ability to understand the world. I am at peace with God, and I see the world through that lens. What does your lens tell you about the world?

SEPARATION

We spent a few days in the sun. I had to come back for work, while Lin remained behind. I'll join her again shortly. It's been about 30 years since we have been apart for any length of time. You don't realize how your lives become intertwined. Consequently, I've been thinking about the ramifications of separation. When my mom passed away, Dad told me it was hard to read the mail by himself. They had a routine, and his role was to look at each envelope, and hand it to her to open. He really missed that. I told Lin that I miss her telling me she is hungry, and me telling her what she wants to eat. Somehow, I know. It makes me realize that the pain of separation cannot happen without first experiencing the joy of togetherness. I feel grieved for those that cannot experience the pain of separation because they have no one with which to experience the joy of oneness. I think I have a better understanding now of what the Bible means when it says "the two shall become one." Have you experienced the joy of oneness, or the pain of separation? Was it temporary, or permanent?