One or the other...

Seems kinda ironic to me that we measure ourselves and others in "absolutes" when in fact we live our entire lives in the gray area.  True or false, yes or no, with me or against me, introvert or extrovert, there's not a lot of wiggle room in those alternatives.  Sure absolutes help to define, measure, determine and execute on matters that make up our physical world.  Where would the IT guys be if it wasn't for "1's" and "0's"?  "Sorta's" doesn't put a man on the moon and there's certainly no middle ground when it comes to being pregnant.

But it's a dangerous practice to see things in absolutes.  It sets boundaries and limitations.  It keeps us locked up in our own prison of awareness without possibility of parole.  It clings to the finite while damning the infinite.  It fosters fear, insecurity and hate, all of which are the building blocks that form the walls we build around ourselves.  However, to entertain alternatives and to consider other options is a means of creating bridges between our own understanding and the unknown.  Where absolutes bring all things to a conclusion, living in the gray inspires hope.  I know some of you feel that if you open your mind's eye to things that are not in line with your way of thinking that it somehow means you're surrendering your own convictions.  On the contrary, in most cases it strengthens your convictions, giving you a broader and deeper understanding of your place in this world.

When it comes to individuals there is no such thing as absolutes.  I would argue there's no one that's pure good or evil although we've seen our fair share of folks that have tried to be one or the other.  Nope, we all pretty much reside in that gray area, some more gray than others.  I believe there is really only one absolute and that's God's love for us all.  Anything beyond that is just a manifestation of our own doing and as far as I can see it really hasn't served us all that well.  Hey, it's not to say I don't like my iPhone or that my hate for the St. Louis Rams or Los Angeles Dodgers isn't real but if we really want to insist on an absolute then let that be love and let the rest of the world fall within the gray areas. 

At least that's my opinion...