Names

I went today for an MRI and ended up in the highest Tesla machine available in our hospital. My first MRI was in an ‘open MRI’ and it gave pretty good information on the size and location of the meningioma residing in my brain. On the second MRI my neurologist wanted a machine with a high Tesla – he said it was like seeing a photo with high pixels. But – I am claustrophobic. I did just fine until the machine compresses my arms against my chest. I’m also fat. So, we moved to a larger, yet less Teslas, machine. Not the electric car tied to the above screen captured graphic.

Friday was the third look at Henry (yes, I’ve named my meningioma) and we found a larger machine with a greater Tesla count and did two – one without and one with dye. No claustrophobia, just stiff joints from being on a steel bed for over an hour. Results will be known later.

While I was being bombarded with thrums and thumps, I thought about Tesla – and how the same word can have so many meanings. Look up Tesla on Wikipedia and you’ll find the disambiguous  page with links to a multiplicity of pages. What you want first is Nikola Tesla. Eventually you’ll come to:  “In the International System of Units, the derived unit of magnetic flux density or magnetic inductivity.” That measurement defined the machine my doctor wanted me to use.

I was also asked my religion preference on one of the registration forms. Christian covers a multitude of doctrines, doesn’t it? A multitude of names – Anglican, Baptist, Catholic – an alphabet of possibilities.

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:3-6 KJV)

While we may disagree on adornments, hair, clothing, music, Bibles, each Christian agrees that there is one God.

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6 KJV)

In that eighth chapter, Paul addresses differences of belief related to the eating of meat that had been offered to idols. It has a much wider application. I like what the Pulpit Commentary said about Paul’s writings on the subject, his siding…

… with those who took the strong, the broad, the common sense view, that sin is not a mechanical matter, and that sin is not committed where no sin is intended. He neither adopts the ascetic view nor does he taunt the inquirers with the fact that the whole weight of their personal desires and interests would lead them to decide the question in their own favour. On the other hand, he has too deep a sympathy with the weak to permit their scruples to be overruled with a violence which would wound their consciences. While he accepts the right principle of Christian freedom, he carefully guards against its abuse.

When the message is love, God’s love from His word, can we accept the principles of Christian freedom? Being inclusive as again Paul wrote:

Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18 KJV)

Let us rejoice.