On Absolute Value: A Guest Post from Arthur Yavelberg, Author of A Theology for the Rest of Us
I know I overthink everything--and this is no exception. Yes, it is funny and ironic, but it also reminds me of the Taoist teaching that there is no such thing as absolute value. Rather, everything has value or not depending on the circumstances. (A pencil is better than a light bulb when it comes to writing, but when it comes to a dark room, not so much.) For that matter, I remember that Michelangelo's famous "David" was made out of a block of marble that every other sculptor rejected because it had an awkward twist in the middle. Michelangelo saw the twist and, instead of seeing it as a negative, used it for the turning "waist" of David--turning that which was rejected into a masterpiece. As the Psalmist taught: "The stone that the builders rejected became the cornerstone." (Ps. 118:22) Finally, if we take that principle seriously, however we may see ourselves, imagine why the Divine created us and what value we may turn out to have? Descripti...