Opus 2011-231, Predicting the Whether

In the past month I have experienced all kinds of different weather.  It has been gloomy.  It has been bright.  I have seen downpours and thunderstorms.  I have been in the desert.  Variety is nice.  I have noticed that any kind of weather gets boring.  The same is true about life in general.  You have heard how we should stop and smell the roses.  That is to give us perspective and variety.  You might also get tired of the rose smell.

Proverbs points out this part of our personality. 

(Proverbs 27:7 NASB)  A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.

It is hard to think about bitter being sweet and sweet being bitter, but the contrast makes it possible. 

Are you old enough to remember the TV series “The Twilight Zone”?  When I was young and foolish I spend a fair amount of time with the TV.  This was one of those programs that determined how I would plan my week.  It was a must. 

One story told about a criminal who was killed by the police.  When he wakes up there is a guy there that he calls “Fats.”  Fats begins to fulfill every wish the criminal has.  He brings him babes and booze.  The guy can’t figure out how he has died and gone to heaven.  He assumes that Fats is his personal angel, assigned to serve him.  This goes on for awhile.  The crisis comes when the criminal decides to do some gambling.  He puts a coin in the slot machine and hits the jackpot.  He is ecstatic.  He puts in another coin and hits again.  This goes on for awhile.  He tries the roulette wheel.  He wins every time.  He calls fats over and complains that it is no fun winning every time.  Fats tells him they can change that.  Just tell him when he wants to win and when he wants to loose.  He can have anything he wants.  The criminal gets disgusted and says that if this is the way heaven is, he wants to go to the “other place.”  Fats just starts laughing and gives the punch line:  “This is the other place.”

Hell was described as a place where you always get what you want.  Always.  There was no real variety.  No chance.  No mystery.  No life.

Be grateful for the variety.  I know it seems a bit much but it keeps this world from being “the other place.”

homo unius libri