The Right Concentration of Sand

Sand is our friend in icy times.  Swedish sand is ubiquitous now amidst the ice and snow, and is quite a bit coarser than what we envision.  Every morning on my way to work I see a few freshly-sanded paths on the streets and sidewalks.  They have a pretty nifty machine for doing this.  It gives a nice even coating with not too much or too little sand.  IF the sand is too thin, we can easily slip and fall.  Too much sand wastes sand and will result in mountains of sand to be removed after the (promised) thaw.

Hmm, not too little, not too much.  That’s a good idea.  Reminds me of what a NASA toxicologist told me.  “Phil, in high enough concentration, everything is toxic.  In low enough concentration, nothing is toxic.  It’s not the chemistry, it’s the concentration.”

I use that quote with my students.  Did you know that oxygen is toxic to humans in very high concentrations.  Water is too. On the other hand, cyanide (in the form of Amygdalin) is found in peach pits, and I have eaten those without a problem.

So this seems true with life also.  Work is great in small enough concentrations, but too much is toxic.  Same is true of exercise, food, drink, leisure time.

I can only think of one exception to this rule…

We can’t overdose on a genuine commitment to Jesus the Christ.