Most men are amazed with what many women carry in their handbags yet the reverse is true amount the things men keep in their pockets "just in case they come in handy". Similarly it often comes as a shock when we have packed our luggage for a holiday just how heavy it turns out to be. Ideas don't weigh very much but they can be just as bad. Having too many detailed rules and preconceptions can weigh us all down and make things appear much more complicated than they need to be.

Life is I agree a very complex thing but both science and mathematics shows us clearly that there can be wonderful simplicity underlying this complexity. As scientific understanding has grown over the years there have been many occasions where great heaps of complex relationships have been swept aside when the underlying simplicity was recognised.

In fact some scientists consider that they are close to a "theory of everything" in which the whole set of rules that define the universe are described. Others are worried about this because they feel that knowing this somehow reduces the value of life and leaves no room for God. These fears are groundless for several reasons. The first and simplest of these is that a knowledge of the rules of a game whether it be football or chess says nothing about the quality or outcome of a specific game when it is played. We are all players in the game of life and constrained by the scientific rules whether we like them or not.

Let us take this analogy a little further. In most games there often exists an aspect of gamesmanship where one can operate within the rules and get unfair advantage. This is where the quality of he game becomes important because it is aspects like this that produce memorably good or bad results. Again the rules of good play are simple Love the game you are playing and be considerate to other players.

In life these rules have been known since time immemorial. But they were stated rather well not so long ago by someone a very great many people in this world respect. He said I only give you two commandments love God (who after all wrote the rules) with all your heart, soul mind and strength. And love your neighbour as yourself. In saying this he was only quoting much earlier writings

These are the only rules we need. Almost every person (whether Christian or not) in the world will accept them. To add complexity to this by insisting on detailed explanation of specific cases or insisting on unconventional proofs of the authority of the person who reminded us of them is totally unnecessary luggage and more likely to be a hindrance to us carrying them out. * Next Page *

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