Parts or wholes?<\/strong><\/h4>\nWe are faced with a conundrum: to comprehend a comprehensive entity, we break it into bits and pieces that we examine independently.\u00a0 We seek to understand them,<\/em> I will point out, as comprehensive entities in and of themselves.\u00a0 If they too are wholes, then to understand them we may choose to divide them into their own bits and pieces.\u00a0 Our goal is to comprehend a comprehensive entity, but our method pushes us to partition and segregate and categorize and organize.\u00a0 If our method requires us to separate, how can we ever come to comprehend?<\/p>\nThe answer is that we can only do so by setting aside the bits and pieces to focus again on the whole.\u00a0 However, we must not set them aside absolutely.\u00a0 Rather, we must look \u201cfrom\u201d them or \u201cthrough\u201d them \u201cto\u201d the comprehensive entity; we must somehow make our knowledge of them subsidiary to our focus without abandoning them completely.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, God has created us with the ability to do just this.\u00a0 In fact, we \u201cintegrate\u201d subsidiary clues to focus on comprehensive entities all of the time.\u00a0 Sometimes we must struggle to bring the pieces together \u2013 as when we seek the right words to express the thoughts in our minds, or when we learn to ride a bicycle or to play the piano.\u00a0 Other times the integration comes so naturally that we don\u2019t even realize that it has occurred \u2013 as when we hear several notes in harmony or pick up a spoon or recognize someone\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Implications<\/strong><\/h4>\nThe implications of this curious relationship between comprehension and comprehensive entities are broad.\u00a0 Some current examples are worth mentioning.<\/p>\n
\n- In diagnosing COVID-19, it is important that we look at the \u201ccomprehensive entity.\u201d A cough by itself could by the symptom of a common cold and a fever could indicate a bout with malaria.\u00a0 Even a positive COVID-19 test result may be a false-positive.\u00a0 What is important is to look at the bigger picture, at the comprehensive entity, at the whole.<\/li>\n
- Those seeking to understand the protests and even rioting following the death of George Floyd or the shooting of Jacob Blake must look from<\/em> or through<\/em> those incidents to the injustice that has infused our society. It is not the single incident, not the single \u201cpart\u201d that triggers such a passionate response, but the comprehensive entity, the whole.<\/li>\n
- Likewise, those who argue that \u201cenough is enough\u201d are not relying on their knowledge of a single incident. Instead, they are integrating together their knowledge of multiple incidents as well as their personal understanding of what is \u201cright\u201d and \u201creasonable.\u201d\u00a0 From the perspective of the parts, their argument may not be legitimate.\u00a0 However, to understand or comprehend it, one must look from<\/em> or through<\/em> those parts to the comprehensive entity, to the whole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/wickstromwonderings\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/140\/2020\/09\/Heading-to-school-300x173.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The relationship between comprehension and comprehensive entities can also help us better understand fires and hurricanes, the passion in this election season, how to prepare a pleasing meal, or the way our children respond to a situation.\u00a0 Likewise, by themselves the combination of school uniforms and back packs and loads of dry grass in this photo may be puzzling.\u00a0 Yet if I integrate them together with knowledge that Congolese students often pay for their schooling through labor, I begin to see the whole picture.\u00a0 These are students delivering their school fees.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h4>\n
In examining the world around us, it is always tempting to turn our attention to the parts.\u00a0 It is natural to focus on the bits and pieces that make up the whole.\u00a0 Such an examination may be useful, but in the end we must subordinate or internalize those parts so that we can truly comprehend<\/em> the comprehensive entity<\/em>.<\/p>\nReport This Post<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The answer is that we can only do so by setting aside the bits and pieces to focus again on the whole.\u00a0 However, we must not set them aside absolutely.\u00a0 Rather, we must look \u201cfrom\u201d them or \u201cthrough\u201d them \u201cto\u201d the comprehensive entity; we must somehow make our knowledge of them subsidiary to our focus without abandoning them completely.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, God has created us with the ability to do just this.\u00a0 In fact, we \u201cintegrate\u201d subsidiary clues to focus on comprehensive entities all of the time.\u00a0 Sometimes we must struggle to bring the pieces together \u2013 as when we seek the right words to express the thoughts in our minds, or when we learn to ride a bicycle or to play the piano.\u00a0 Other times the integration comes so naturally that we don\u2019t even realize that it has occurred \u2013 as when we hear several notes in harmony or pick up a spoon or recognize someone\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Implications<\/strong><\/h4>\nThe implications of this curious relationship between comprehension and comprehensive entities are broad.\u00a0 Some current examples are worth mentioning.<\/p>\n
\n- In diagnosing COVID-19, it is important that we look at the \u201ccomprehensive entity.\u201d A cough by itself could by the symptom of a common cold and a fever could indicate a bout with malaria.\u00a0 Even a positive COVID-19 test result may be a false-positive.\u00a0 What is important is to look at the bigger picture, at the comprehensive entity, at the whole.<\/li>\n
- Those seeking to understand the protests and even rioting following the death of George Floyd or the shooting of Jacob Blake must look from<\/em> or through<\/em> those incidents to the injustice that has infused our society. It is not the single incident, not the single \u201cpart\u201d that triggers such a passionate response, but the comprehensive entity, the whole.<\/li>\n
- Likewise, those who argue that \u201cenough is enough\u201d are not relying on their knowledge of a single incident. Instead, they are integrating together their knowledge of multiple incidents as well as their personal understanding of what is \u201cright\u201d and \u201creasonable.\u201d\u00a0 From the perspective of the parts, their argument may not be legitimate.\u00a0 However, to understand or comprehend it, one must look from<\/em> or through<\/em> those parts to the comprehensive entity, to the whole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
The relationship between comprehension and comprehensive entities can also help us better understand fires and hurricanes, the passion in this election season, how to prepare a pleasing meal, or the way our children respond to a situation.\u00a0 Likewise, by themselves the combination of school uniforms and back packs and loads of dry grass in this photo may be puzzling.\u00a0 Yet if I integrate them together with knowledge that Congolese students often pay for their schooling through labor, I begin to see the whole picture.\u00a0 These are students delivering their school fees.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h4>\n
In examining the world around us, it is always tempting to turn our attention to the parts.\u00a0 It is natural to focus on the bits and pieces that make up the whole.\u00a0 Such an examination may be useful, but in the end we must subordinate or internalize those parts so that we can truly comprehend<\/em> the comprehensive entity<\/em>.<\/p>\nReport This Post<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
The relationship between comprehension and comprehensive entities can also help us better understand fires and hurricanes, the passion in this election season, how to prepare a pleasing meal, or the way our children respond to a situation.\u00a0 Likewise, by themselves the combination of school uniforms and back packs and loads of dry grass in this photo may be puzzling.\u00a0 Yet if I integrate them together with knowledge that Congolese students often pay for their schooling through labor, I begin to see the whole picture.\u00a0 These are students delivering their school fees.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h4>\n
In examining the world around us, it is always tempting to turn our attention to the parts.\u00a0 It is natural to focus on the bits and pieces that make up the whole.\u00a0 Such an examination may be useful, but in the end we must subordinate or internalize those parts so that we can truly comprehend<\/em> the comprehensive entity<\/em>.<\/p>\n Report This Post<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"