How far is "East" from "West"?

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   Dave Mathewsposted 12 years ago

   Often we hear;  "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet."
   How far away are east from west. In my opinion if you clap your hands together, one being East and the other being West, then they are only as far as the two hands clasp together. What's your opinion?

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      Quilligrapherposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Dave.  I think Kipling provides the answer himself in the other 95 lines that followed:
      
      The Ballad of East and West
      Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
      
      “OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, 
      Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat; 
      But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, 
      When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!”
      
      Read it all at http://www.bartleby.com/246/1129.html
      
      Thanks, Dave, for providing an excuse for me to visit an old friend.

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   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   What?

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   Brenda Durhamposted 12 years ago

   Like the difference between night and day.

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      Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Brenda expand on your statement.

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         Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         The sun rises in the east and sets in the west (a "world" apart).
         And the Bible says God removes a repentant person's sins as far as the east is from the west.  I take that to mean a lonnnggg way.
         
         But you have made me wonder about something else that may figure into this too.
         I think there's Scripture that refers to God's left hand and right hand...
         Gonna try to look that up.

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            Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Brenda looking at it as a Christian you are correct and scripturally I agree with you.
            But I can stand facing east and make an about turn in the same spot and I am then facing west. Depending on the direction I face, I am either in the East as I face the West or in the West as I face East. Both directions depend upon which way we face and which way we advance. It is a matter of perspective and logic.

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               Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Now I gotta ask where you're going with this.  Not sure I understand.

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                  Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  It's easy to grasp. I understand what God is demonstrating with his comparison and God is totally right as is His Word. Her is but another way to look at my question though.
                  Raise your hands. One is east the other west. Bring them together as if clapping. The distance between your hands while together is the same as the distance between east and west. Fact is there is none. East is still east and west is still west. They can and they do meet. This is a reality.

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                     Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I guess it can be looked at that way.  Kinda like the saying "it's a small world after all"?   And kinda like Quilligrapher's reference to the meaning of Kipling's poem?  (which, by the way, was very interesting!)
                     
                     But Dave, I think your analogy makes the person the focal point of all things, instead of all creation...
                     
                     I'm sorry;  I still don't get it.

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                     1. 61

                        Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Brenda I was not looking for a spiritual or theological point of view with this question more a phylosophical look at the distance between east and west. The distance is as far as one chooses it to be. Do you think that God can see east and west meet together? And in His perspective how far apart do you think the distance would be?

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                           Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           I dunno Dave.  I think....if we're neither east nor west, we're straddling the equator?   Or would that be the Prime Meridian?    Gotta go one direction or the other....
                           
                           Unless we're southeast or southwest or northwest etc. or some variation.  Either way, we can't be east/east or west/west because there is no such thing..

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4. 74

   WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

   Standing in the East, you face the setting sun, and know all things must end.
   Standing in West, you face the rising sun, and know there are always new beginnings.
   The journey from beginnings to endings you can trace by looking upwards and following the sun move across the sky.
   The journey from endings to beginnings lies under your feet, hidden in darkness.

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   1. 61

      Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      WriteAngled: My point, east and west come together where we stand. When the sun rises walk east, eventually it will pass over head, eventually it will pass you by. If we could walk faster we could face the same sun rising again in the same day.

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5. 63

   Greek Oneposted 12 years ago

   it's about the same length as a piece of string

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   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   
   
   Cannot say I totally agree but there is something in that image that makes us think...

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      Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah.  Makes me wonder about the motivation behind that pic.

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      Greek Oneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      My vote goes to the Far East
      
      

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   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   I do not know about the motivation. But, correct me if I am wrong, how many times we, western people, just cover our eyes and ignore reality just because it is not comfortable enough to deal with?

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      Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I dunno.
      I was thinking about the "west" one being similar to Lady Liberty, and the "east" one being more disguised....
      Is that what you mean?

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   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   Yes, they cover their bodies but they keep their eyes fully open, otherwise their reality might kill them. Our reality here is "softer". We can afford being ignorant, too trustful, too naive, too blind to reality. And reality bites but it does not kill you here. if you have lots of money you can live here as distant to reality as possible, fully closed from it, shielded and protected with no direct contact with it.

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      Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We should be able to live that way here in America whether we have money or not.  At least shielded from the outside influences that are bad.

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         Rehana Stormmeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         My immediate interpretation of the pic is that we cannot see East but East can see us. We can see West, but she can't see is. East can see whatever is going on around her while not being judged for her physical features only. West is judged by appearance. It is interesting that the pic features two women, rather than men...an impeding them of sexism and female discrimination....
         
         Anyway, how far is East from West? The universe is infinite, therefore the distance between "East" and West" is infinite.
         
         The analogy you gave about the hands - "In my opinion if you clap your hands together, one being East and the other being West...." We refer to our hands as 'right hand' and 'left hand'. No one actually says my 'east hand' hurts or I use my 'west hand' to write.

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   Zabbellaposted 12 years ago

   You stand in the middle...you throw a ball toward the East.  You throw another ball toward the West.  Assuming they are still projected and still going......they will never meet again.  They are as far away from each other as East is from West. 
   That is what I think is meant in the Bible as well. He casts the sins that far away,  possibly never to be seen again.

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