My brain is an interesting place for sure. I've been considering what it is to either react or respond and what within my brain chooses one or the other of those two choices.
It was very enlightening when I first read somewhere that if I speak to another person such that I illicit a response the conversation will be different than if I speak in such a way that I illicit a reaction.
That knowledge right there gave me wonderful freedom in knowing how to effectively promote a useful conversation.
For example, someone could say to me; "Why did you plant that bizarre, twisty shaped
shrub in your garden?" Or they could say; "Hmm, that is certainly an interesting choice of bush to put in front of your house."
In my brain the first comment heads me right to a reaction. "What do you mean "bizarre?" Why are you picking on me? You obviously have bad taste if you don't see this choice of shrub as being a good choice." And on and on it would go. My ego is activated and I defend and react and attack in return.
With the second comment I am invited into a conversation. I don't have to tamp down and restrain my injured ego, I can just explain what and how I was thinking when I choose that shrub and that spot.
This has a lot to do with the human brain's gift of fight or flight. How do you think that is so? And why?
"The mark of Christianity is the paradox, the absolute paradox. As soon as a so called speculative cancels the paradox and makes this qualification into an element, all the spheres are confused."
~Søren Kierkegaard
Personally have come from a background of dependence on knowing and being secure in that knowledge, I now much more appreciate not knowing.
And truly when exploring what it is to be in relationship with the creator of the Cosmos would mystery and a freedom to explore that mystery be the best and more rich place to find even more of an expression of who God is?
And if God's primary purpose is to be relational what is more mysterious than a relationship? I could try to be funny and talk about understanding the mind of a woman but truly we each are mysterious within us and thus we are mysterious in how we show up in life.
That is why NOTHING is gained by holding a person in a box, thus much less holding God in a box.
Love is not love unless it is an openness within the mind for the other; God or my wife, or my friend or the Democrat or the Republican or whomever.
Fear creates fences, love sees no fences.
