On St Clair beach is a group of old pilings. When I first bought a decent (for the time) digital camera I photographed them and made a picture I was happy with. Way back then, I took the picture at dusk, used a tripod, set the lens to a narrow aperture to get as much depth of field as possible, and used a slow shutter speed (around 20 seconds) to smooth out the water. I've visited the pilings many times, and made much the same shot. Last night I realised that the tide and the light were appropriate for yet another iteration, and took the picture above. Same settings, though the old wooden logs have aged a bit.
We revisit our past. It's not now as we imagined it. Things that seemed so strong and straight are succumbing to the tides of the universe, as everything does.
The piles have suffered the indignities of all that is constant in their environment. They are still lovely in their decline, though, and make their own statement about impermanence and the movement we all make from being to nothingness.
Technical stuff. Nikon D750. Nikkor 16-35 @ f22, 22 seconds, iso100
We revisit our past. It's not now as we imagined it. Things that seemed so strong and straight are succumbing to the tides of the universe, as everything does.
The piles have suffered the indignities of all that is constant in their environment. They are still lovely in their decline, though, and make their own statement about impermanence and the movement we all make from being to nothingness.
Technical stuff. Nikon D750. Nikkor 16-35 @ f22, 22 seconds, iso100
Comments
And so I believe it will be with me. One day, probably sooner rather than later, Kelvin Wright will cease to be. But there will be resurrection. Something else will begin (and I would guess - will follow the same pattern. But what would I know? What would anybody know about that, various proof texting of our favourite theories notwithstanding). What, exactly the continuity will be between what I am and what I will be after death I have no idea. I donāt think you have any idea either.
"Everything in the universe traces the same journey. It is not, it is, it is not again. Everything, each atom, each sub atomic particle, each star, each planted and all that planet contains, each civilisation - all follow at path of non existence, existence then non existence." - Actually matter doesn't cease to exist, it just gets re-ordered. First law of general thermodynamics.
"When God wanted to give us a picture of all things he gave us Jesus, whose life followed that pattern. But of course there was something else he demonstrated, which is also always there in the universe: resurrection. When things cease to be it isnāt an ending but the start of something else."
- Jesus' body didn't disintegrate or 'cease to be', it was transformed into a glorified, eternal state. Resurrection is *not "always there is the universe". The cycle of spring and nature or the formation of new stars through gravity has nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ, which is a supernatural invasion of natural processes. Pagan Roman religion (think of Horace: 'Diffugerunt nives ...') was greatly moved by the cycle of the seasons but saw the destiny of man to be oblivion, but the Jewish-Christian faith took an entirely different direction.
"And so I believe it will be with me. One day, probably sooner rather than later, Kelvin Wright will cease to be." - Really? Is the death of the body the end of the person? Are the dead in Christ not with God, experiencing the Father's love and awaiting the resurrection, as the Church has always understood the word of Christ and His apostles? What did Paul mean in Philippians 1.23, 'I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far'?
"But there will be resurrection. Something else will begin (and I would guess - will follow the same pattern. But what would I know? What would anybody know about that, various proof texting of our favourite theories notwithstanding)." - But as I said above, 'resurrection' is a Christian word. It means the discontinuity with the pattern of nature, which is toward decay and death. It is also a repudiation of Hindu-Buddhist beliefs in karma and reincarnation, which have no part of Christian theology.
"What, exactly the continuity will be between what I am and what I will be after death I have no idea. I donāt think you have any idea either."
- Well, I do have ideas from my reading of the New Testament, the Church Fathers, Aquinas and the Reformers. I submit that the Great Tradition is rather more solid than your agnosticism or uncertainty on this question. Of course, if the Great Tradition is wrong, then so am I.