"And We shall ease thy way unto ease."
Quran 87:8
This is obviously similar to "God desires ease for you, and He does not desire hardship for you." (2:185) The verse above is drawn from surah 87, often rendered as "The Most High." As always, there are different ways to interpret it, ranging from the specific ("God will make it easy for the Prophet to memorize the Quran") to the more general ("an allusion to the uncomplicated nature of the revealed law." Nasr p. 1504) I think in this instance it jumped out at me in regards to yesterday's posting about humans being created in travail. Seriously, can't God make up His/Her/Its Mind? Actually, I think both views can be reconciled. Certainly any parent understands the clumsy balancing act between wanting what is best/easy for their kids and the often disastrous results of giving them the freedom to go out and lead their own lives and make their own decisions (hopefully the right ones). Lately in education we're hearing about lawnmower or bulldozer parents (who are replacing now decidedly less annoying helicopter or velcro parents). These are parents who eliminate every possible obstacle for their kids, with the result being that the youngsters are unable to even make decisions. Not only are they trapped in their dorm rooms, but they also struggle in class discussion because seemingly every intellectual question is beyond their ability to address. If we were true with ourselves (and, come on, we're often sycophants around God) we all have a list of complaints against God, but we certainly can't accuse Him/Her/It of being a lawnmower God. To me, the verse also brings me back to my belief that in the end it always comes back to the notion of "returning the worse with the better." That is, move beyond an eye for an eye, and always treat the other person better than they treated you. Now that is easy. And almost impossibly difficult.
Quran 87:8
This is obviously similar to "God desires ease for you, and He does not desire hardship for you." (2:185) The verse above is drawn from surah 87, often rendered as "The Most High." As always, there are different ways to interpret it, ranging from the specific ("God will make it easy for the Prophet to memorize the Quran") to the more general ("an allusion to the uncomplicated nature of the revealed law." Nasr p. 1504) I think in this instance it jumped out at me in regards to yesterday's posting about humans being created in travail. Seriously, can't God make up His/Her/Its Mind? Actually, I think both views can be reconciled. Certainly any parent understands the clumsy balancing act between wanting what is best/easy for their kids and the often disastrous results of giving them the freedom to go out and lead their own lives and make their own decisions (hopefully the right ones). Lately in education we're hearing about lawnmower or bulldozer parents (who are replacing now decidedly less annoying helicopter or velcro parents). These are parents who eliminate every possible obstacle for their kids, with the result being that the youngsters are unable to even make decisions. Not only are they trapped in their dorm rooms, but they also struggle in class discussion because seemingly every intellectual question is beyond their ability to address. If we were true with ourselves (and, come on, we're often sycophants around God) we all have a list of complaints against God, but we certainly can't accuse Him/Her/It of being a lawnmower God. To me, the verse also brings me back to my belief that in the end it always comes back to the notion of "returning the worse with the better." That is, move beyond an eye for an eye, and always treat the other person better than they treated you. Now that is easy. And almost impossibly difficult.
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