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Month: March 2022

With And Without Excuse

With And Without Excuse

Human weaknesses, failings and misbehavior are unlikely to remain hidden indefinitely.  When they are in danger of imminent exposure or are actually revealed, excuses are inevitably offered. Excuses have two main purposes.  The first, is to enable us to feel better about ourselves, despite having done what we shouldn’t or having neglected to do what we should.  The second purpose is to induce others to feel better about us, our shortcomings notwithstanding.  We are most comfortable when one excuse serves dual purposes—persuading both ourselves and others…

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Greetings—From God

Greetings—From God

I’m no scholar, but if I were, I might tell you that it was customary in the ancient Near East to begin personal correspondence by stating the letter writer’s identity up front.  The format might begin with the author’s name, add a bit of distinctive information to differentiate the sender from others with similar names, and cap it off with a special greeting to the intended recipient(s).  A brief introduction, summarizing the subject of the missive was not uncommon. The great apostle…

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Learning To See Double

Learning To See Double

“Seeing double” is the colloquial term ascribed to a phenomenon in which a particular kind of visual impairment causes the person experiencing it to perceive two images when only one is actually present.  The scientific designation for this is, “diplopia.” Films and television programs often portray double vision as the comical result of illegal drug use or excessive drinking.  But it is no laughing matter.  Persistent or repeated diplopia warrants prompt medical attention to determine the cause(s) of the disorder—not an easy task,…

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