What Are Diametries?
Truth. Purity. Righteousness. Absolute words produce absolute ideals.
That is a good thing. Perfection gives us a target, a direction. It lets us know how we can grow and improve.
As a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ is our ideal. I believe we should all be like Jesus. I believe if every person truly modeled Jesus in every thought and action, we would have no need for social justice, for government, or for heaven.
I also believe that our models of Jesus, our projections of who He is, are not perfect. The Jesus I imagine is different from the one you know. The Jesus you know is different from the One Who actually is.
You see, while absolute ideals are good things, our lack of perfection (“ideal-ness”) should limit our authority (“absolute-ness”).
Symmetry traces from the Latin for “same measure”. Here I use it to mean both “the pursuit of one ideal over all others” and “the application of that ideal to other persons”.
This can be a good thing. It gives structure to parenting, discipleship, and education. Without knowing what good is, it is impossible to know what we want our children and students to be.
Symmetry can be a bad thing too. Because we lack perfection, our ideals of perfection fall short of the actual thing. I pursue my own ideals. When I look to have my children and disciples pursue my standards, though, they are limited by my growth.
My goal should not be to replicate my ideals, but rather to re-create actual perfection. This requires committing myself to adjusting those ideals when I see that they fall short. It also requires giving those who follow me the tools to develop and evolve their own standard of perfection.
Churches and schools should not be factories pumping out products but, rather, nurseries guiding growth and propagating life.
“Diametries” is the word I use to describe a different path than that of symmetry. Diametry traces from the Latin for “through measure”. A diameter is a line that runs from one point on a circle, through its center, to its opposite side. A diametry is an ideal shared by multiple persons on opposite sides of a shared pursuit of perfection
Imagine perfection as a mountain. Climbing a mountain is not as simple as traveling uphill. Sometimes, in our pursuit of perfection, we approach, and even reach, false peaks. Climbing a mountain is not as simple as keeping our eyes on the true peak. Sometimes, in walking towards our model, we run into cliffs and chasms, obstacles that block our path.
The way to climb a mountain is to find and follow an accurate map.
Diametries are ideals shared by multiple persons on opposite sides of a shared pursuit of perfection. As Christians, atop the mountain, at the center of the circle, sits God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfector of our Faith.
I want to be careful not to stretch the analogy too far, but this concept defines this site, so here goes: Whenever we move closer to another person at any other point on the circle, we move within the circle, and thus are closer to the Center. The further someone is from us (yet still within our Faith/Circle), the closer to the Center that move becomes.
By discovering multiple diametries, ideals shared across opposite sides of the circle, we continue to triangulate the Center, Jesus, of our Circle, the Church. This helps us direct and continually renovate our ideal of perfection.
By discovering diametries with those who share our pursuit of perfection, we also can further discern the texture of what lies between us. This helps us find and point others to paths forever further up the mountain.
By discovering diametries, we can find and follow an accurate map.
Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen. So let it be.