What I'm Learning: New Words

I’m always on the hunt for new words. Not enough to use Word Of The Day Toilet Paper, but I’m definitely a word nerd. I even like that it rhymes.

So the other day I’m skimming through my Twitter feed, and I run across a word I’d never heard before. The word was “anisotropic.” Of course, I immediately determined to figure out what it meant and to drop it in the first conversation in which I could reasonably make it fit. It’s what I do. Go ahead, judge me.

“Anisotropic.” It’s the antonym of “isotropic” which refers to any object that yields the same results no matter what part of it you measure. An anisotropic object, then, is one that has different results depending on which part of it you measure.

I know—that doesn’t help much. Here’s an example: ever raced a Pinewood Derby car? I did once for Cub Scouts. I loved it! My car was called the Red Hornet. My Dad and I made it, and we got 3^rd Place. We lost to one shaped like a hot dog.

We always raced the car the same way—on its wheels. It’s the best way to get it down the track. If we had flipped it on its back, tires in the air, we’d have won for “Worst Strategy Ever.” My racecar was anisotropic—depending on which side you raced it on, it would have a different velocity.

Now, if I were rolling, say, a ball down the racetrack, no matter how you placed the ball, the speed would be consistent. A sphere rolls the same way from any point on itself—that’s isotropic. Get the idea? Now go use it in a sentence. Amaze your friends.

The tweet containing this awesome word linked to a blog about the anisotropy of God. You can read it here. The blog claims that God works in different ways for different people; He doesn’t deal with every situation in the same way. For the author, it was a good thing. It meant that God cares specifically about your situation, and will do something unique in a given circumstance.

In one sense, I completely agree. I don’t think anyone would contend that God deals with everyone and every circumstance the exact same way. Otherwise our bank accounts would have the same amount, we’d all have the same constellation of freckles, and Get Well cards would be rendered useless.

Our lives and the paths they take are unique. Some people die young,; some people need braces. Some people are athletic, sand some men can’t grow beards (I fall into that category).

This begs the question, though: if God is dealing with people differently, what rationale does he use? Is God going to Punk me, placing me in crazy situations to watch me squirm? That doesn’t sound like a God I can depend on.

But while people are faced with unique situations and things work out in various ways, it’s not necessarily true that God deals with each of us differently, because behind every action hides motivation.

Imagine good parents who love their children well. Can you imagine them acting exactly the same way every time they do something bad, or good for that matter? Surely not. Sometimes you need to deal in grace. Other times, the firm hand of discipline is required.

Does that mean these parents vary their philosophy every time, or alter their methodology by reacting differently? Of course not—each unique action is governed by their motivation to raise their children to be healthy, responsible adults.

The same is true of the God of the Bible. While He reacts to different situations in different ways, the Bible says that God deals in one direction: love. The Bible even goes so far as to say that God is love. Not “God is loving” although that follows. God’s very nature, the heart of His being, is love. That’s one of the bold claims of the Bible.

Just as cool, the Bible also says that God is immutable—meaning, He doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, forever. Who He is doesn’t waver or falter, so He was, is, and always will be love.

That’s something that’s hard to wrap my brain around, but if true, is a mind-blowing idea: God is Perfect Love, and He does not change; therefore, everything He does is love. Just like a good parent, God appears anisotropic as he reacts to different situations in unique ways. But behind his varied actions beats the isotropic heart of love.

That’s a God I can trust.