Truth and Linguistics

[kerravonsen]

Interesting quote from the book I'm currently reading(*):
Their [human] language is equally confusing. Who can believe what they say if every word has several meanings?

Which makes one wonder... for of course, in human languages, one can lie while telling the truth. Yet what a poor language it would be if words had only one meaning.

Does poetry lie in ambiguity? Or does poetry lie in ambiguity?

(*) "City of Pearl" by Karen Traviss

Comments

[kerravonsen]

and it's encouraging to see you being thankful, given the trials and struggles that you're going through every day!

It was someone in my small-group, who came over one day out of the blue (after I'd been saying how hard things were), she came over to encourage me, and told me of her own struggles, and how one thing that helped her get through was, at the end of each day, listing five things to thank God for (though it didn't have to be exactly five) and that struck me as a really good thing to do for myself. And I do think it's been helping.

we don't have to be thankful that bad stuff happened to us--we can be honest with God--but we should be thankful that through it all

Yeah, my pastor said something similar: it's "thank God in all things, not thank God for all things"

So sometimes it gets down to the bare "thank you Lord that I'm still breathing" (which is more significant for me, given the nature of my chronic illness)... there's always something to be thankful for, even if it's really simple things.

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

So sometimes it gets down to the bare "thank you Lord that I'm still breathing"...

Yeah, me too. Sometimes I feel so rotten or wiped out or generally soured that I end up there too...and then the perspective makes me think that maybe it isn't all so bad, especially since, ultimately, the struggle is temporary (even if it seems interminable. :)

I love this song:

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
(c) Hel­en H. Lem­mel 1922

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

[kerravonsen]

I do recognise that hymn, though I can't recall the tune at the minute. "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim" (nods)

and then the perspective makes me think that maybe it isn't all so bad, especially since, ultimately, the struggle is temporary

"To live is Christ, to die is gain."

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

If you're willing to sit through a not-too-terrible MIDI recording of it, I got the lyrics off this page.