Tag: authenticity

Perspicuity

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

The English language is a beautiful thing.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary this word is obsolete, but the definition is, “the quality or state of being clear to the understanding : lucidity in expression or development of ideas.”

Today’s version of perspicuity would be “full transparency.” So, when I was prompted to write today on the question: “What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?” I would tell them to live a life of Perspicuity. They wouldn’t get it, because nobody uses this word anymore. They would look at me in their youthful way and say, “What are you talking about old man?” In the same way in which smart phones have replaced landlines, the English language has evolved. And don’t even get me started on the texting shorthand in usage today on all the “smart” devices. Even that sentence is absurd to me. Texting in shorthand? Really?

Everyone knows “LOL” means “Laughing out loud.” That’s an easy one. For everyone over 55 see if you can figure out these common shorthand abbreviations the “youths” (Yutes?) are using to communicate today…

  • NVM
  • SMH
  • TMI
  • ICYMI
  • RN
  • FOMO
  • YOLO
  • BFF
  • DM
  • BRB
  • OMG
  • LMK
  • TTYL
  • TBH

I think the last abbreviation in this list is the most appropriate to discuss under today’s topic.
TBH- “to be honest.”

Think about the phrase itself. “To be honest.” Does that mean everything up to this point in the conversation has been something less than honest? Have you been telling the truth so far? The ambiguity of the phrase itself boggles the mind. Which leads me back to my advice to those younger than myself.

My advice? Be authentically you. Be transparent. Live in perspicuity! Don’t use phrases like “to be honest.” Just be truthful in all your ways. Do the next right thing. Own your mistakes. Make lots of mistakes, so you can learn what not to do. Do not fear failure. Mistakes and failures are God’s way of shaping us and forming us into what He wants us to become. None of us are perfect. Own this too.

My second piece of advice is to seek help for living from the life giver Himself. God has created you uniquely you. You don’t have to be someone else, you just have to be you. And God’s WORD is another great example of Perspicuity. In every way possible the Bible is forthcoming with the Truth of what God wants you to know about Him. From the very beginning statement all the way to the last, God tells humanity His thoughts about life. He reveals Himself in His attributes and activities. He defines what love looks like on a grand scale. The Book, which includes 66 different works by different authors, explains with complete transparency, everything we humans need to know to live honestly, humbly, and lovingly among the other human companions who cross our paths.

Finally, the thing I love about the Word of God is that God never begins any statement with “To be honest…”

He doesn’t because He isn’t holding anything back. He gives it to us straight!

A Bespoke Being

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

Daily Post: Tailor

tailor

Working my way through undergraduate work at West Texas A & M University was quite a journey.  One of the many part time jobs I held was as a gopher to a Tailor.  The man who owned that business was quite nice to me, even if he was clear that I was not to be out in his shop when customers were in the store.  If I was caught up on my work, he allowed me to wander through the bolts of material which crowded around the stool he used to measure and fit his customers.  Or, I would stand and watch him cut the material for a new pair of pants or jacket, as he explained things about grain and weave and pattern that went completely over my head.  All I know is, I would have given anything to own one of his suits.  They were outstanding. They were made-to-order.  Bespoke.

It’s like the difference in real and powdered anything.  Take eggs for instance.  Real eggs, scrambled, taste vastly different than powdered scrambled eggs.  Powdered milk? Same.  Powdered anything? Same.  Made-to-order goods, like tailored clothing, simply look and fit better, in the same way made-to-order food tastes better.   In the hands of a master, the end result can be one-of-a-kind greatness.

Apparently, in the hipsterish culture of American consumerism, “bespoke” sounds old-fashioned and traditional, which are two qualities of pop-faith for todays “in-people” who think earlier generations did things in a more “natural” or “righteous” way. This lends easily to the “authenticity hoax.”   Simply add the word “Bespoke” to anything and the pop crowd rushes to the fountain to drink, literally.  Read Jim Farber’s 2016 article on Bespoke here.

“Authentic, unique, made-to-order, bespoke, and original” all have one thing in common.  These words speak to the elements design or creation of items not previously existing which come into being through the creators design and skill.  A suit is just a suit? Well yes, and no.  You can buy a pre-made suit off any number of racks in reputable clothing stores.  Whether bespoke or pre-made, each suit serves pretty much the same purpose.  While the pre-made suit will fit generally well, the bespoke suit is suppose to fit “perfectly,” having been designed for a specific body.

Here it comes.  Are you ready?  You are a bespoke being.  I am a bespoke being.  Not one person who has ever lived is a pre-made being.  We are all unique, we are all a one-off.  I realize I wrote about this yesterday in “Lumbering Through Life.” However, some topics just bear repeating, so I will.  You are a bespoke being.  God was in the bespoke business long before the hipsters discovered how cool it it.

The Bible says, (Genesis 1:1-5)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.  Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.  

When adding these thoughts to the passages from yesterday it is so obvious that God is the Master Creator.  He made the heavens and the earth “to order,” according to His own design and purpose.  Every creature, every plant, every person, and every thing was created for Him and by Him.

John 1:3-5
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

If God is the Creator, and He created you (and me), then we are bespoke with a purpose. To find this purpose, all that is required, is to turn your life over completely to the Creator, seeking His will and His plan for your life.

You are a Bespoke Being!

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