The Cycle of Life

Life is cyclical; what goes around comes around.  The wise man Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.”  Somehow though we often seem surprised and overwhelmed by many of the challenges we confront in life.  It is as if something is out of order, and what should otherwise be predictable outcomes often come as great shockers that throw our homeostasis out of whack.  What is wrong, and how can we fix it?

A natural phenomenon studied in Physics is Centripetal Force.  Centripetal Force is force acting on a moving body at an angle to the direction of motion, tending to make the body follow a circular or curved (predictable) path.   A prime example of centripetal force at work is the Hammer Throw game that involves a metal ball that is attached to a length of wire.  The aim of the game is to throw the apparatus as far as possible.  The execution of the game involves a competitor holding the wire with the metal ball at the end of it; he or she then gets the ball moving in a circular motion above the head.  In order to develop power for a good throw the competitor carries out the circular motion for a while and then releases the apparatus at a specified angle to get it moving in a specific direction.  The noteworthy point here however is that as soon as the competitor releases the apparatus the circular motion ceases. A similar example of centripetal force at work is the revolution earth and the other planets around the sun.  But while for the Hammer Throw game the break of the centripetal force is desirable, that is not the case for our planet system – our very existence is hinged on the stability of this system, for to break away from the sun would instantly plunge us into a dark abyss of certain destruction.

The relationship between the earth and the sun is microcosmic of the universe and its Creator.  Similarly then, what would be true if the earth were to break away from the sun, would be true for other aspect of the universe that breaks away from the structure that the Creator has put in place for it to operate by.  Hence, the misery of life and the notion of death as occasioned by sin.  “For the soul that sinneth shall surly die.” Sin, it is said, is the transgression of the law.  Whose law?  The Creator God’s law.

Death defies the cyclical nature of life, because at death the cycle ceases…but for Grace.  Grace is the repair kit to correct the malfunction caused by sin.  In the end sin will be destroyed, death will cease, and life as God intended will follow its intended course, and it will not cease.  Praise the Lord.