Good Evening, God!
My wonderful husband, Kit, came back from his afternoon run with this lovely photo of Koko Crater. Only it doesn’t look like the Koko Crater that I normal see. The angle is different! I know that is IS Koko Crater but, not the one I see normally. And, of course, it looks rectangular — not circular — which is what it is.
It is beautiful . . . but not familiar.
In fact, if I was shown this image without knowing it was taken on Oahu and East Oahu at that I am not sure I would have been able to name it.
One of our tasks as we mature is to learn to recognize “reality” from a variety of viewpoints. The speaker at our women’s retreat showed us a number of images which could be two different things — for example either a vase or two faces. The reality of the image is such that both images can be seen with just a slight shift of focus. But, if we don’t know that about the images we could have vicious arguments about which it is. Faces! No! A Vase!
That seems to me to be a spot on analogy of our multiple divisions in our country. And, once launched on an argument with our emotions engaged — it is very difficult to look for another way of seeing.
I suppose, God, that wouldn’t be quite so bad if it were not for our tendency to demonize our opponents. Perhaps, this is a basic problem with living in a dualistic world view. Right or Wrong! Good or Bad. Hmm. Reality is way too complex to be bifurcated.
Now wouldn’t that be a marvelous thing to teach children . . . well, to teach all of us.
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