Here comes an article on walking sent by a friend. It quotes ‘experts’ who are asked where ideas come from. German physicist, Hermann von Helmholz, speaking at a banquet in 1891 on his 70th birthday said, “Happy ideas come unexpectedly, without effort, like an inspiration. They come especially readily while I am walking”. And a modern mathematician, Princeton’s Andrew Wiles, said, “when I get stuck on a problem, I take a walk. Your subconscious mind is at work while you are in a state of relaxation”.
And it’s true. I do get ideas during my morning walk. The idea is there, to express it in an email is harder. I sit there often and wonder, is this the right way to say it, will they understand what I am trying to get across? Is it making sense, and is it easy to understand?
Is the thought worth saying in the first place? And is it brief, to the point, and contain a lesson or moral? Readers need to have the feeling of getting something to make their life better, stronger, or come away thankful for the reading.
Wordiness is deadly. So, do I sound like a politician, a person with nothing to say using many words to say it?
So there are lots of things that go into communication. I pray always that you will continue to find the things I send your way worth the while.
Just by the way, When Dr. Walther, our churches first president, was a theological student in Germany, one of the requirements for graduation was to serve as tutor for a family. During that year he regularly walked 4 miles one way to attend a church where the Law and Gospel were clearly taught. He used that time to think deeply about the faith. One result may be the classic work on LAW & GOSPEL he later wrote and that is still being used.
So, try walking for your health, and for thinking clear thoughts about any problem you might be struggling with. The Lord answers such prayer in His time.
GPD 10/20/07
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment