Countdown: 2

Second to last treatment!

Pairs. Symmetry. Contrast. Complements. Twins. Bookends. Humans are quick to find patterns: it only takes twice for something to happen before it sets up an expectation in the mind. We are wired to fill in the gaps to make a whole out of the pieces, even just two pieces. This mental urge is called gestalt. I have a stronger urge to close the missing gaps than my husband, which makes me far quicker to jump to conclusions while he’s still asking questions. The best researchers are those who can hold off the urge to reach a conclusion until more data comes in. I think I am too much the artist, finding connections between everything, even creating them if need be, as you can tell with my posts. When I teach literature, I ask my kids to connect characters, scenes, plot devices, symbols, life--anything and everything. When they protest, I give them this challenge: “Pick any two things you can see, any two things you can think of. I will connect them. Go.”

“Bookshelves and flowers!”  

“Easy. Both come from plants and feel smooth.”

“Dry erase marker and my grandmother.”

“Both remind you about things you need to get done.”

“Clouds and motorcycles.”

“Both race by in the wind.”

This skill is good for English class but not so good for scientific inquiry.

When we experience gestalt, the puzzle piece falling into place, the perfect fit, it feels good, like a sigh of relief. We love finding patterns. We love symmetry in the human face. Apparently we will quick-judge people’s physical beauty by the symmetry of their faces, and then go on to make assumptions about their character as well, based on what they look like. This, of course, is a terrible use of gestalt.  Here is a good use: I have a Mixtec friend named Symmetry. She met a German friend of ours when he came to visit us in Guerrero, Mexico, and eventually they married, and she moved to Canada, close to where I live now. He committed suicide after a fight with mental illness, and she now raises their four sons alone. She is tri-lingual, tri-cultural, strong, wise, and beautiful, inside and out. I’m sure her life does not feel beautiful or symmetrical through this season, but she belongs to Christ and will see his pattern for her journey, a pattern of infinite beauty and joy, when the time is right.

I think when we are with Jesus at the end of time, one of the most satisfying bits will be the symmetry, the patterns, the story untangled so that the pieces connect and everything makes sense, even the dark bits like chemo and separation by an inexplicable death. Somehow both the artist and the scientist (and everyone else) will flourish in heaven like never before. And I will be making even more connections, better ones. And Robert will still be asking questions. And you? What will you be doing in heaven? Because that sitting-around-on-clouds stuff just doesn’t cut it. God’s way too busy getting things done and creating new stories and symmetry and beauty for that. Our worship will be to create right alongside him, trying to please him, trying to keep up. Best to shine up those talents now.