Armed and dangerous

Last week my wife brought in a leaf from our rose bush.  It had several very small, yellowish-green insect like creatures crawling over the back of the leaf.

On examination, I wasn't sure if they were some kind of caterpillar (moth or butterfly larvae) or if they were larvae or nymphs of some other insects.

I did notice that they were covered with some furry hairs.

While looking at them, I accidentally touched one of them.

Ouch!

Limacodidae-Spiny slug caterpillar
Yes-that's my thumb for scale

How could such a minute hair on a minute insect inflict such an intense burning pain!

And why is it that the hairs on some creatures are soft and cuddly while others are itchy and painful?  How does one even know except to purposefully or accidentally come in contact with the animal?

Appearances can be deceiving.

I have lived in several countries and I have noticed a commonality among all of them: people like stuff.  People mortgage their homes and their souls in order that they might obtain more and nicer things in order that they might be fulfilled, happy, comfortable, or perhaps perceived as having higher status.

But it fails so often.

Why do people who seem to have it all end up committing suicide?

Why do winners of mega-lotteries often end up worse off than they started?  (And why do governments promote such systems that ultimately fail at what they are hyped to achieve?)

Jesus calls it "the deceitfulness of riches."

That which appears soft and cuddly may in fact be prickly and poisonous.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  (Matthew 13:22)

Not only does that which appears to be good actually fail at being good, it ultimately ends up choking what little good one had to start with.

While I am not a proponent of Buddhism, I have had the opportunity to visit is an interesting temple about 10 miles south of Chiang Rai often referred to as "the white temple".  The artist/creator of the temple makes an interesting contrast.

The temple is divided into two sides.  One side is very ornate with lots of interesting sculptures and such which draw the eye.  It is quite beautiful in many ways.

The other side is quite plain and almost boring.

The two sides are reached by bridges from a central structure.  One starts their journey there and has to decide: "Which side shall I choose.  Should I choose the beautiful and ornate side?  Or should I choose the plain and boring side?"

The catch here is that the "beautiful" side is side of karma-the endless cycle of birth, suffering and death.  The "plain" side is the side of Nirvana.

Many years ago, two men representing two large, extended families stood at a crossroad.  Their combined families were too big to be raising their livestock together and they needed to separate.  The older man said to his nephew, "take your pick, you go one way, I'll go the other."

The nephew looked one way and saw barren, rocky hills.  He looked the other way and saw a lush fertile plain.  He said to his uncle, "I think I'll head down to the valley over there."

The older man took his cattle to the barren hills.  God blessed him and he prospered.  The younger man found himself living among people whose only purpose in life was having a good time.

Eventually the older man had to rescue his nephew from the destruction of the city. The younger man ended up spending the rest of his life in a cave.  The older man prospered and became a great nation. (Genesis 13; 18:22-19:38)

Sometimes, that which appears soft and cuddly is in fact prickly and poisonous.

When you come to the crossroad, which side will you choose?

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) - the 'hell" side

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) - the "heaven" side

Decisions, Decisions

The other day I was out exploring/exercising on my bicycle.  I was trying to follow a dirt track which, according to Google maps, went back out to the main road.  But Google maps has not always proved correct when it comes to some of these back roads.

At any rate, I came to a fork in the road and it was time to make a decision.  The road to the left was newer, wider, in better condition, and went in the general direction I needed to go.

But I took the other road—and it turned out to be a wise decision.

The reason for my decision: it looked like the road to the right had been around a while and was well used.  Hence it was narrower (overgrown with time) and in poorer shape because it was used more.




People tell me I can be a fairly good navigator.  Since I was a child I’ve loved maps.  I remember studying the maps on a cross-country road trip that our family took when I was seven.  Back then, most gas stations gave out free maps--that was always a highlight for me!  And it certainly helped to have good map reading and navigational skills in my previous occupation where I made maps.

But navigating is not just about maps—it’s also reading road and traffic conditions.  One trick I will often use in unfamiliar territory is to follow the dominant traffic flow—at least if I’m trying to stay on a through road.  Occasionally that backfires—as when I once ended up at a Coscto.

I think of my crossroad decision—where I followed what appeared to be the more “traveled” road—and I compare it to the last lines of Robert Frost’s famous poem:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost has a different take on navigation here.  And his take is perhaps a bit more relevant to how we navigate through life.

Often, if we want to do the right thing, we will not be doing the popular thing.  Or if we are leading in a given area, we will often be blazing a new trail.

Jesus said:

¹³ "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. –Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

This well-know verse comes near the end of the Sermon on the Mount.  And in the Sermon on the Mount there is a collection of sayings that go like: “you have heard it said…, but I say to you…” where Jesus contrasts the normal way of doing things with God’s way.  The implication is that God's way of doing things is often along the "road less traveled".

Sometimes it can be lonely when you take the road less traveled.  It is a road where we can find ourselves misunderstood quite often.  It takes courage to walk that road.

Today in church, a young woman got up during the sharing time and started telling a story.  I had a hard time following what she was saying because she was talking very fast and in a mixture of Thai and Khmu all of which was muffled by her tears.  The young woman was confessing some sin in her life and apologizing to those she had offended.

It took a lot of courage for her to do that.  Afterwards, one of the church leaders got up and reminded people about the importance of what had just happened, commending the young woman for daring to do what she just did, and trying to make sure that she was not misunderstood. This opened the way for mending of relationships that had been broken or messed up because of her behavior.

This young woman had come to one of the many crossroads in life and had to decide whether she was going to follow the well-traveled road—and pretend like her misbehavior was okay or did not matter—or whether she was going to follow the less-traveled road of obedience to Jesus.

She took the road less-traveled…

…and it made all the difference.