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Free Radicals
by Debra Burgess What crosses the mind when someone speaks about "radical"? We are probably most familiar with this term as it pertains to the human condition; those persons who buck the norm for what is expected by general performance measures. We often see this "radical" label given to politicians, sports stars or actors in mainstream. We also see it given to men and women of God who seem fringe when judged by opinion polls of mainstream religion. It's a double edged label. It can either help or hinder one's image, if we care about such matters. In our current culture, radical is most associated with the idea that someone is living "outside the box" of conformity. I suspect it would be a surprise to many that radical has a fundamental and basic definition. It's synonymous with deep seated, foundational, essential, inherent, original, primary and profound. Most however are only familiar with the deviation of extremes for this definition. We merely recognize radical to be excessive, rebellious and insubordinate, to name only a few. Essentially, to be radical we have to be freethinking. What does freethinking look like? History is replete with many examples of what some who were labeled as radicals were capable of. Some famous names would be Hitler, Martin Luther, Sir William Wallace, Queen Elizabeth, Rasputin and Thomas Jefferson. These names stir up our moral compass. They give us understanding for what it costs to be a radical. Whether we know them to be right or wrong in their convictions, each name took freethinking to the limits. The most famous radical of all who creates the final and divisive argument was Jesus. A long while back I heard two words that touched me deep within myself, "free radicals". I didn't understand at the time so I merely wrote them down on a sticky note and posted it on my desk. Free radicals as known in health circles would be those atoms which hijack a stable molecule to try to stabilize itself. When this fails, more free radicals are set loose. Our bodies produce them normally but when they become excessive than damage can occur. (Simply speaking that is.) I imagine our freethinking will turn the world upside down, but it may look as though we are attacking a seemingly healthy body of thinking. To be a free radical, our own life may have to be final and divisive. I love to encourage the heart of people to be who they are meant to be in Christ, individually made and uniquely designed. www.debrabee.org Email: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |