Little Big Words
Sometimes the littlest words are truly big words. These words are big in context and little in spelling. These little big words present choices. As a result, decisions are made. A Greek 1st century philosopher and author shares a short story about one big little big word:
After invading Greece and receiving the submission of other key city-states, Philip II of Macedon sent a message to Sparta: “If I invade Laconia, you will be destroyed, never to rise again.” The Spartan ephors replied with a single word: “If”. Subsequently neither Philip II nor his son Alexander the Great attempted to capture the city. (Plutarch; “De garrulitate” – translated “Morals”; 1st Century)
Throughout history the little words have been consequential and conditional. Words like if, and, or, and but often carry “or else” assumptions. These are conjunction words. A conjunction word is used to connect partial sentences (clauses). This sentence then communicates two or more ideas in the same sentence. A conjunction word can demand a decision, provide a stipulation, or offer a choice. They can provide ethical dilemmas, sometimes with life and death in the balance. They are the key words in covenants, laws, and contracts; if you do this, I will do that.
At this point many readers may be thinking, “This is all very interesting, but so what?” Well, much of our current world’s social, cultural, political, and financial situations are due to conditional conjunction scenarios. The course of history has been determined through the use of conjunctions.
Choices
Looking back at historical events reveals choices and decisions. “If” my father had been stationed at a different military installation, this blog post may not have been written. My ancestors could have decided to stay in France in the early 1800’s “or” come to North America. I don’t want to plant a garden, but that could present the family with a food shortage later. The bigger the status of the person the bigger impact the possible pasts can have on humanity and more.
If, and, or, and but choices made by any of the people involved in the 911 Terrorist Attacks had huge consequences rippling throughout the world. What if any particular person had not been born or had made different choices throughout their lifetimes. “If” George Washington remained loyal to the King of England, American History could be radically different. Had choices been handled differently World languages, architect, government systems, and national borders would be very different. If we keep moving backwards through history, we can find that very basic things we take for granted about our current lifestyle and world around us exist the way they are due to people making decisions based on if, and, or, and but choices.
Chance or Control? 
Is random chance, a series of happy mistakes, really presenting choices? Some perhaps. Is there outside control of choices, a controlling thinking source, inserting its will? The effects of human choices have had obvious effects on Earth’s ecology as well as animal life. Generations of humans have made millions of history altering decisions, big and small. There is little doubt that humans will continue to have great impacts on life on earth through their choices.
Does this necessarily discount the presence of an even bigger will at work dictating ultimatums (choices)? While humans are capable of choosing paths when presented, hindsight shows those choices have not been the best path. Alternate choices and their best decisions are clearer in hindsight. Have we simply accidently arrived at this space and time with all of the circumstances? Have we chosen right or wrong? How many different options are there? Who creates the choices and constructs scenarios? These are very important questions.
It’s all Greek to Me
What might appear to be chaos around us displays an underlying organization. The word “chaos” is from Greek origin (khaos). It describes a formless void, nothingness. “Khaos” is related to another Greek word that means wide open or ‘gape. Interestingly, Old English used the word to define a yawn, i.e., a gaping hole. Most religions (including evolution) tell an account of organization appearing out of the abyss of nothingness called chaos. In keeping with Greek word study, this “organization” is translated as “cosmos”. The Greek verb form of “cosmos” is the activity of ordering and arranging. It is something that someone must do. The noun form of “cosmos” is the established order as arrayed by someone. It is called “The Universe” in English.
We are not living in chaos at all. As disturbing as it may seem sometimes, there is an organized order to all that can be detected. There are laws of the nature of the cosmos. The choices we can make are founded on a previously ordered and arranged universe, and by definition has an arranger. I (and others) call the arranger, “God”. God (for lack of a better identifier) is the arranger of the cosmos, the inventor of laws, and the setter of boundaries. God defines the parameters of all choices. We all operate within those laws and parameters by default.
The Original Choice 
The Biblical book of Genesis provides an account during and just after the ordering of the cosmos:
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
– Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)
In this little early excerpt, we find God interacting with his newly designed man. He inserted the man into the arranged environment. It was a garden and the man’s job was to tend to it as he lived there. After that we have the first recorded words of God to a man. The words include several conjunctions that line out a choice. The conjunctions (specifically “and, but, for”) provide the flow of specific instructions and a consequence for disobeying. It is straightforward and seems to be a simple command to follow.
God put the man in the garden….”And” commanded the man. “And” provides a continuation of the interaction between God and the man, an interaction that has rarely occurred throughout human history. The man was encouraged to eat from any tree in the garden….“But” provided an option, a stipulation actually. The exception to eating from any tree was a certain tree “you shall not eat from”. God spoke and the man heard. The man and God should easily carry on in peace and harmony forever….except for the little big word, “for”. “For” connects a consequence for the “and” and “but” portions of God’s command….in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
The result?
These three little words bring a very serious statement for the man placed in the garden by God. The man has the choice to eat or not from only one tree. There is no other choice concerning any other tree. God made the decision even easier. He revealed the consequence for disobedience, something not required of God. A simple set of instructions has the possibility of becoming a very serious situation. Did the “for” portion of God’s statement to the man change anything? Only that it makes the man’s disobedience would also reveal him to be very foolish.
The man would succumb to the temptation, and in doing so disobey God. With the consequence of death for disobedience, the man did eat from the forbidden tree. With one choice given the man, he chose against God’s command. God’s promised consequence has occurred:
“Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
– Romans 5:12 (ESV)
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
-Romans 8:20-22 (ESV)
The man’s disobedience has negatively affected all of creation. Thus, death, suffering, evil, and disobedience are all part of the nature of things as a result. “Sometimes the littlest words are truly big words.”