What are your thoughts on Weinberger’s last sentences in this chapter: “Now we know that not everything has its place. Everything has its places – the joints at which we choose to bend nature”? Write about some of the joints of nature that are important to you in what you “know” about life and the world. For example, your religious and/or political beliefs.
I liked reading about this idea that everything has its places. I thought that the explanation using the carving of a turkey was well chosen and highly illustrative. I would contrast the carving of turkey at the joints with how fowl are often cut here in Taiwan – typically with a massive cleaver cutting the meat into handy bite sized pieces (before cooking). This results in nice bite sized pieces that are easily picked up with chopsticks and the small pieces allow for very rapid cooking which is beneficial regarding time and some flavors. But every piece, obviously, has a bone in it. Not a bone like a turkey drumstick, but a sharpened weapon-like piece of bone that is ready to shred your gums if you aren’t practiced and careful. Cutting along the joints that nature provided has some clear benefits.
One “joint of nature” that is important to me comes from a religious text but I interpret it to be a universal truth.
New Living Translation (NLT)
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
The way I read this text, I believe that Jesus is teaching about the minimum standards that he expects humanity to meet. I don’t think that he is speaking only to Christians or to monotheists and I don’t think that “the least of these” are any particular group of people, either. Food, water, community, clothing, care and concern: these are good and necessary in all cultures and in all times and for all people.
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