"The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises."
- Solomon -
Although Saturday morning for me,
it's already Sunday, somewhere in the world. And whether you celebrate the sabbath on Saturday or Sunday, or even if you are not religious at all, I would be surprised if you didn't relish weekends.
We all need a break, a day out of the week, an opportunity to set aside the hum-drum of daily work and—if we allow ourselves—to reflect on new and intriguing ideas.
"The sun rises, and the sun goes down." - Image courtesy of Pablo Heimplatz
It's time for a new series.
Yes, I know, what about all my other series? I intend to add to them, bit by bit. But today, I'm inaugurating a new series, augmenting my ever-growing series of series...
This is a series on Design.
As an inventor, I love design. I admire good design wherever I see it, and strive to design things with excellence.
Whether, as I do, you believe that Jesus is the Creator/God of the universe or not; this series will give you the opportunity to contemplate some remarkable patterns and designs in the world around us.
“Wonderful are your works.” - Image courtesy of Daniil Kuželev
Today's theme is cycles.
Have you ever seriously considered the beauty and wonder of all the myriad cycles that make up the universe?
I find that Jesus' implementation of the fundamental design concept of cyclic action to be one of the most profoundly beautiful, useful, and yet unremarked on features of the universe.
Consider the tension between boredom and familiarity.
Cycles give us the best of both worlds.
On the one hand, cycles alleviate the tedium of the "same-old, same-old." Because of the cyclic nature of natural processes, we get a break from the boredom of doing the same thing, non-stop.
On the other hand, cycles grant us the comforting familiarity of repeated experience. There is something about a routine that helps us get through the day, that gives us a constellation of recognizable and ordinary, but enjoyable, experiences to look forward to.
Consider some fundamental cycles.
The sun rises and sets, giving us a daily cycle. The Moon orbits Earth, its period of 28 days giving us months, and—when subdivided—giving us weeks. The earth circles the sun, giving us repeating cycles of four seasons. We feel these rhythms deeply. And there are many others.
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.” - Image courtesy of rawpixel
"What shall I have for breakfast?"
Mmmm, the thought of sizzling beef bacon and strong coffee makes my mouth water even as I write these words. But have you ever, like me, after a satisfying repast, said this?
"Oh, that was good; but I couldn't eat another bite."
And yet, four to six hours later, we are hungry again, ready for our next meal.
"Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful." - Image courtesy of Toa Heftiba
Lovers, responding to the gradual build-up of desire,
come together in a delightful explosion of passion. Their drive to couple is then, for a while, sated, allowing them to devote necessary time to the more mundane necessities of life. But the union, far from being a one-time event, is rekindled and enjoyed again and again.
"If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." - Image courtesy of Samuel Giacomelli
We work a day,
become weary, and find respite in the shelter of our home. Our work has exhausted us. However, provided with meals and given a good night's rest, we look forward to the challenge of engaging in our calling the very next morning.
As noted at the beginning of this article, we also have a weekly cycle of work and rest, or sabbath. Annually, we are likely to take one or more vacations. The rhythms of the universe work to our benefit.
"All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full." - Image courtesy of Aurélien - Designatic
In engineering terms,
our bodies, and all natural processes, are designed with buffers. These buffers may be F.I.F.O. (First In, First Out) or L.I.F.O. (Last In, First Out) designs, but they serve the purpose of managing cyclic processes.
We have stomachs, colons, and bladders for food and liquids incoming and outgoing. The sky holds clouds that buffer rain. Wind and weather function in circles, snow stores mountain water in winter and releases it in the spring thaw. Planetary and lunar orbits alternate between fast and slow, ever repeating.
What I see in all of this is design brilliance.
My hat is off to the Creator of the wonders I observe, day by day, all imbued with this bedrock concept of cycles. This leads me to a closing observation.
"He has put eternity into man's heart." - Image courtesy of Jesse Collins
I often meditate on thoughts of eternity.
Stereotypical thinking paints eternity with the unwarranted broad brush of boredom. I believe this is a deception that could not be further from the truth.
"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." - Ref.
I expect God's eternity to be patterned in grand cycles, providing us with endless, infinite variety that transcends any possibility of becoming jaded. I invite you to join me in that truly new age, and I will gladly respond to any serious inquiries about it.
Meanwhile, as you go through your day,
consider the many natural cycles occurring around you—and in you. You are already part of a grand, universal rhythm. Author C.S. Lewis visualized this as a dance, beautifully choreographed, one which we all can take part in and enjoy.
I hope my exposition of cycles will give you a greater appreciation for the world around you.
FIN
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