Thursday 27 February 2020

On Energy


2 November 2019

A survey asked if I felt happiness looking back at life. What? Undeserved luck, unexpected disasters, inspired celebrations, fair solace, or my regrettable behavior locked in the past? Relief and remorse. Cogitation draws energy. Getting out of bed in my morning mood, I imagine others have energy: unfortunately, they’re probably not the majority. Why? Energy produces work. In fact it’s a unit of work. What comes between us and our proper work? Energy can be transferred between bodies, places, other energies. Sometimes it’s called a unit of change. Change is implicated in the Buddhist idea of suffering, even when the change is welcomed. Stillness contains energy; death releases it in a series of breakdowns and transmutations.  What channels most energy? Whether to fear God, or enjoy God forever? Granting that ‘fear’ means ‘reverence’ and ‘forever’ is subject to change (transfers of energy) how best to glorify God? So much knowledge, so little wisdom. Gesture is life. Signs are indications, or they may be miracles. On this All Souls Day I think of energy still in motion. If energy is a unit of work, what’s a unit of rest? Do we need a unit of play?

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