The Distance Between, Part 2:
Where does Space End? I remember this questioning attitude in my 8th grade science class with Mr Doolittle. Channelview, Texas… We were talking about atoms. You know, electrons, protons, and comparing their rotation around the nuclei, sort of like how the planets orbit around the sun. The distance between the components of an atom are smaller than the naked eye can see, the distance between our solar system almost incalculable without a high understanding of math and the scientific tools to perform measurements.
Is there something farther than what we can see with the stars at night? Is there something smaller than the atom we are studying… The answer is an obvious yes. Smaller than an atom, and contained within, is a quark. Anything smaller? Probably. Give em’ time. How about the depth of space? Further than most of our minds will ever comprehend, space just simply seems to keep going a kajillion light years away (the distance light can travel in one year at 186,000 mph)…
I’m just saying. It’s a good question! Scientists just have not found all the answers. I’m just saying. Good question!
Where does Space End? I’ve written about it previously, but man has put a space ship punching out of our solar system, into that great void of not truly knowing what goes on out there. Deep Space. [Source1, Source2] The heliosphere, the heliopause, that great wide place called Interstellar Space. Inhospitable, and we are all surprised that the Voyager space craft is still headed outward and still able to communicate to home base.
Just like the measurements of a ruler can microscopically get smaller and smaller,
the distance between us and the great unknown is measured in more and more zeroes.
Here’s my thought. What’s the distance between love and hate? It exists, because we see over and again how good loving relationships can turn into putrid masses of hate. Almost instantly. The speed of moving from one to the other is almost as fast as that lion I mentioned yesterday! Snap your fingers and the race is on. The caterpillar inches along and the lion plunges in, just one simple step. Reward! Winner! [Source]
Scientist have proven (according to them!) [Source] that the same nervous circuits used for romantic love are the same ones used for hate. It’s almost down to the neuron size of a nerve ending that we either love, or hate, and instantly change from one to the other. Even though these two are polar opposites.
An interesting side note, we cannot always tell whether someone hates, or loves, because the two are so closely connected at the center of our lives.
It’s like looking at a magnet.
It’s difficult to tell which side is positive, and which side is negative…
until you attempt to use it for its intended purpose.
Both Love and Hate can be an all-consuming passion. It’s just in it’s applicability! The main difference? Love is generally directed to a single individual, while hate can encompass large groups of individuals. Think ethnicity, race, culture, social, religion, politics… An endless list, perhaps.
It’s like considering tears of happiness, versus tears of sorrow. Smile vs Frown. Happy vs Sad. Quickly, we move through the gamut of our internal emotions. And, I realize, these are all very close to each other. Found within a few short microcircuits of our identity, we switch between them as quickly as we can flip a light switch.
In scripture, the half-brother (same mother, different father) of Jesus, James, spent a few moments speaking about this.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. (James 3:5-9 NKJV)
What drives our speech? I’m weary of curse words finding their way into daily conversation. Really. Why does anyone think this gives them an audience? It’s childish. Grow up.
I’m thinking of a conversation at a roastery from last week.
A nearby table.
The guy was trying to impress the girl,
and the four letter words that rolled off his tongue
was a constant embarrassment to me.
Really? It’s childish. Grow up.
I’m tired of passive aggressive, whatever that is. I’m tired of syrupy sweet speech that gushes like thick molasses. I’m tired of fake and illogical words. Get real!
But James takes it a different path. With the same tongue, we bless God and curse men. Out of the same thinking patterns, we let our brain direct our words to be good on one side, but negative on the other side. What’s the distance between the two? How can we have such putrid hatred, while at the same time espouse a love that should be that agape sacrificial love? Almost out of the same breath, without inhaling more oxygen, we can use the polar opposites to express love and hatred. To the very same person!
His summation? Look at the next verse. Verse 10…
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:10 NKJV)
The distance between a blessing and a cursing are minuscule within, but they should be as far apart as our forgiven transgressions, which God considers:
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12 NKJV)
As far away from us as the east is from the west! That should be the distance between hatred and love. An incalculable distance. Further than the heliosphere that Voyager has entered. Further than the Oort Cloud. Further than where we think space might have an end.
God has an ability of reaching all of creation. After all, he spoke and it became. (THIMK – Words have power!) The close-in places, as well as the far away places. Perhaps, we should strive to keep our distances in perspective. Love should be kept far from hate. A greater distance than we can ever span. That’s a great distance. Love will conquer hate. Why? Love is more powerful than hate! Love wins. Hands down.