The Light or Alterity...

I love words, and their etymology. One of my most recent favorites is Alterity: It's a philosophical term meaning 'otherness', strictly being in the sense of the other of two (Latin alter). It is generally now taken as the philosophical principle of exchanging one's own perspective for that of the "other."

The definition I'm most familiar with in respect to alterity is how it relates to monsters, of course. They are an "other" from us, living at the edges of our world always ready to create anxiety, which they dangle over us like temptation. They're philosophical beings that societies tend to create.

As christians we are very aware of one monster or 'other(ness)' who is real; satan is alive and well in the spiritual realm. Creating havoc in a very physical way. He's no philosophical monster! Do we chose to exchange our saviors perspective [which should be ours as his children] for that of the "other?"

Sadly, on occasion we do. We call it sin. Graciously God saves us from our sin. Alterity is there to remind us there is an(other) way. We do have a choice; it's alterity or it's The Light.

I chose The Light! How about you?