By Dr Charles Leyman Kachitsa
Everything in this life has got a level of acceptability. Humans like measurability whether it be quantitative or qualitative, any phenomenon on earth has to have a certain measure to make sense in people’s mind. Without measurements of some sort, perhaps life would not be functionally interesting.
In the observation above even emotions such as happiness or sadness have some measure usually qualitative. It is not unusual to hear people refer to someone as very happy or overly happy, yet they may look at another person and describe his/ her happiness as very low for instance as in the statement; ‘she did not look happy to me at all’. That goes for sadness as well in which one would be described as very sad, yet another may be observed as appearing sad without any qualification of the word, which will mean the sadness is on the lower end.
It is in the human ability of measurement that has meant many life threatening dangers are reduced and waded off. For instance too much heat may cause dysfunction to the body just as much as too much sweetness would. A sane person’s response is much determined by their measurement and interpretation of the situation before them which may include fight or flight in some circumstances. It is therefore ideal that one must learn throughout their life how to measure situations in order to live life purposefully, avoiding that which is unpleasant.
The quotes this week are a continuation of extractions from a book that narrates the appetites of people to find self-serving things at the expense of the bigger God given purpose for man. I am sure the selected few quotations from this book listed below will enlighten you to one or two life lessons. Read and enjoy:
CONCLAVE – THE POWER OF GOD. THE AMBITION OF MEN. by Robert Harris
“His dialogue with Benitez had disturbed him profoundly. He was unable to get it out of his mind. Was it really possible that he had spent the past thirty years worshipping the Church rather than God? Because that, in essence, was the accusation Benitez had levelled against him. In his heart he could not escape the truth of it – the sin: the heresy. Was it any wonder he had found it so difficult to pray?”
“Twice he rose from the bed and went to the door, and twice he returned and lay down again. Of course, he knew there would be no flash of insight, no sudden infusion of certainty. He did not expect one. God did not work that way. He had sent him all the signs he needed. It was for him to act upon them. And perhaps he had always suspected what he would have to do in the end, which was why he had never returned the pass key but had kept it in the drawer of the nightstand.”
“…….. Without noticing, he allowed himself to become lost in the painting. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in great perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken … He felt a sudden intimation of disaster, so profound that he shuddered, and when he looked around he realised that an hour had passed ,,,,,,,,,”
“Tedesco had a curious way of eating. He would hold his plate in his left hand and empty it with great rapidity using a fork in his right. At the same time, he would glance frequently from side to side, as if fearful that someone might be about to steal his food. Lomeli presumed it was the result of coming from a large and hungry family.”
