One frustration I have with writing is when I sit down to say something and just doesn't come out the way I want it. In the back of my mind, the idea seems so clear and yet when I express it through the written word, I miss the mark. Another frustration flows happens when another writer says exactly what I was trying to say. On one level as I read their words I say, "Yes, that is exactly what I think." On another level I think, "Why couldn't I say it that way. And I wanted to say it first."
Recently, I had that experience with this concept of paradoxes. The idea and importance of paradoxes has been rolling around in my head the last few months, but I haven't been able to express it well. This week I read something that perfectly says what I was trying to say. Richard Foster writes in the Freedom of Simplicity, "Paradoxes, of course, are only apparent contradictions, not real ones. Their truth is often discovered by maintaining a tension between two opposite lines of teaching. Although both teachings may contain elements of truth, the instant we emphasize one to the exclusion of the other, the truth becomes distorted and disfigured." That's it! That's exactly what I was trying to say in a recent post about the devil offering half-truths to tempt us.
The good news is that even though Richard Foster said it before me and better is that it can continue to be a launching off point for our discussion on paradoxes. The ancient rabbi's called this "midrash." Referencing what other rabbis had said about the law. The joy of discovering people who have said what you wanted to say is that you can reflect on their word and take their ideas to the next level. It's about carrying on a conversation for the written word. As long as we don't feel the need to be completely and totally original (which is a phantom anyway) it is a great joy
No comments:
Post a Comment