Tag Archives: platitude

Chain

Chain: (n) a sequence of items of the same type forming a line

“A chain is as strong as its weakest link.”

That little piece of platitude is tossed off all the time. It’s really quite arrogant.

In other words, folks never speak this principle when referring to themselves. No, it’s always some sort of derogatory comment about the
 weakness of others.

But in measuring the value of your chain, it’s always a good idea to realize that there are different types of weakness.

For instance, being tough and inflexible can be a great weakness if you’re trying to establish a tender relationship.

Touting your sexual prowess to a room full of bored hearers is equally annoying and comical.

Establishing the superiority of one gender over another is the propagation of ugly myths.

There is a reason that some things link. We don’t link together simply because “we’re all strong” and able to handle equal burdens. We usually link together because one of us feels the need for another, and the other requires our presence.

We err when we try for perfection.

No one likes perfect.

No one believes in it.

We appreciate it when weakness is acknowledged instead of denied. This allows us to build up the chain, and gives an opportunity to the link–to establish fortitude.

 

Donate ButtonThank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix  

Amen

dictionary with letter A

Amen: (exclam) 1. uttered at the end of a prayer, meaning “so be it.” 2. used to express agreement or assent

Turning my TV channels in the wee hours of the morning, I stumbled across a whole series of religious programs, proffering their view of the holiness of God and the varying degrees of the depravity of man.

Although they were quite different in appearance and style, their content was similar in one remarkable way: every once in a while, as the speaker was touting his or her revelation, they would stop and say, “Can I get an amen?”

After a while, it lost some of its charm and spontaneity and began to reek of desperation. It was similar to pausing in the middle of a romantic encounter and asking your partner what she thinks of your lip technique. Or going to have a new tire put on your car and having the attendant insist that you come and watch him and grunt your approval during the process.

It just isn’t very attractive in the human experience to be so needy that you feel compelled to demand reinforcement.

I know we’re supposed to tell people we love them, but honestly, after a while, it sniffs more of platitude than it does gratitude.

An “amen” should come forth when the audience spontaneously feels energized by a notion or a prayer that causes them to give voice to their support.

I don’t like to go to a concert and have the group onstage, before they have even sung a note, insist that we all begin clapping. I don’t like being forced to stand up and I don’t want to be “rallied” to a cause which is either not clear to me or has not stimulated much enthusiasm in my soul.

If we do too many charlatan actions in our lives, faking our zeal, we soon will forget what it’s like to be overtaken by joy, overwhelmed by blessing and swept along by the magic of great ideas.

As I watched the shows last night and the camera scanned the audience, they were a strange mixture of bewilderment and submission.

If God needs me to merely perform the function of a pawn which He pushes across a chess board to generate the appearance of movement, then honestly, I’m not particularly interested.

But I am fully prepared to be affected, stimulated and rejuvenated … at any time.