Sunday evening on my way home with a detour, I met some Brazilians who invited me to watch Brazil-Croatia in the World Cup, the match that was on last night. I ended up going there and taking GJ along and we had the time of our lives. Those Brazilians know how to celebrate soccer! They came with drums and dancing girls dressed in their flag. I’ll support them solely because their fans are that cool! So today we’re going to get ourselves some Brazilian shirts, so that next time we won’t feel like the odd ones out.
I reckon you could build sermons on this. Does anyone here want to have a go? I'm still thinking about the way they reflect the light that shines on them.
We went to my place afterwards and got into a slightly philosophic mood. My housemate had left her soap bubble gear in my room and so GJ was blowing through the plastic circle creating beautiful things and being captivated.
As we watched the soap bubbles he started pointing out how perfect they are: Perfectly round, because they take up the most convenient shape (ever seen a soap bubble turn out triangular or star-shaped?), thin and fragile, but floating, because they are that light.
We watched two of them interfere with each other and bounce off harmoniously, without breaking. “People should be like soap bubbles,” GJ concluded. “When they meet they don’t need to hurt each other.”
For further study on the phenomena of soap bubbles, I would direct you to the website “Floating Soap Bubbles”.
7 comments:
Well, my initial response/reaction to the idea of people bumping undamagingly into each other like the bubbles do is pretty negative. (c: We're meant to be able to do damage. In fact, I'd argue that the more you care about a person, the more you enable that person to hurt you. It's called love, eh? The *ouch* in relationships are where a lot of depth comes from. Needing to ask forgiveness, going through restoration, understanding a person's internal workings and why they hurt and how you can care better for them. Good stuff! You might as well look at "the problem of pain" (c.s. lewis) or "where's God when it hurts" (philip yancey) and find how good pain really is!
I do love bubbles, though. Perfect shapes. When the stick together it a single perfectly flat pane between them. Pretty amazing!
This is very true, Luke, and I am totally with you on the point that you are making. GJ’s point is a completely different one though.
There is a constructive kind of hurting that we don’t need to be afraid of and that simply comes with learning to understand each other while deepening relationships. This doesn’t scar deeply. In a relationship where there is love, this is what happens: you allow the other person to hurt you, but you are always aiming to learn to hurt each other less. The pain that comes with new depth is not a constant hurting. It leaves you grateful, because it heals the more you know that the other does love you. It is a worthwhile pain and if there is a scar, it is of the type that serves to press kisses on. (c:
There is also a destructive kind of pain that people inflict on each other, when they don’t know very well how to love and this leaves the ugly scars. They take a lot more effort to heal and can remain as open wounds. It makes people afraid of hurting more and this makes them hurt others, because their fear makes them afraid to love in a good way.
I wouldn’t like to see us act as soap bubbles in the sense that, when our lives interfere, we simply move out of the way never to interact again. I guess the ‘loner’ soap bubbles are a bad example. They could symbolize those people who never get hurt because they stay away from other human beings. It is a sad and lonely life that way.
When my exams are over, I plan to read “Where is God when it hurts”. The book has been in my possession for a number of years and I know Yancey is a good author, but I still haven’t read it. So thanks for reminding me! Perhaps I’ll be mentioning it later.
oh, that kind of damage. (c: Hey, I learned yesterday that women quickly forget the pain of childbirth! How amazing!
Yeah...I knew we'd agree again. (c;
And yes, they do (though there's exceptions of course). Noticed that during my last internship. I spoke to one woman who was sure this would be her first and last child just after he was born. Two days later she wasn't so sure. That's a good thing hey!
hey hey! My sister finally gave birth yesterday night. Phew.. Took forever!! She was doing a natural birth and was about 7cm dialated, but the baby wasn't coming out. I was told that the baby was in breach position (butt first) and that made it more difficult as well, so.. they checked how hard my sister was contracting and that was plenty hard, so... no movement. Hm.. in the end they did a C-Section, and the baby is out! Amelia Marie Mullins. She's a healthy baby, good size and not overweight or under developed (as is common for diabetics' babies). My sister keeps extremely good control over her diabetes and the doctors were all totally impressed by how healthy they both are. (c: I'm a proud uncle!!!!
Congrats Uncle Luke!
Whats the kids name?
"Bubly" perhaps...?
...or "Bubles"?
Take care mate and have a blast in the hospital zusje!
~Lucas~
Hey Luke,
I didn't even respond to this yet...sorry...but you are right to be proud!
Broertje, the kids name is Amelia Marie Mullins. ;)
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