reinhard windoffer
 old and recent stuff
what are
the concrete properties of things
As we watch the world around us, we are struck by the tangible nature of things. The concrete properties of objects, the weight of a stone, the texture of bark, the scent of a rose, all speak to us in a language beyond words. And so it is with the things that surround us, for they are both great and nothing.
Consider the stone, that humble and unassuming object. It is solid, heavy, and enduring. It has a weight and density that we can feel in our hands. It can be used as a tool, a weapon, or a decoration. It is a reminder of the earth, of the forces that shape our world, of the passage of time.
As we watch the world around us, we are struck by the tangible nature of things. The concrete properties of objects, the weight of a stone, the texture of bark, the scent of a rose, all speak to us in a language beyond words. And so it is with the things that surround us, for they are both great and nothing.
Consider the stone, that humble and unassuming object. It is solid, heavy, and enduring. It has a weight and density that we can feel in our hands. It can be used as a tool, a weapon, or a decoration. It is a reminder of the earth, of the forces that shape our world, of the passage of time.
But at the same time, the stone is nothing. It is inert, lifeless, and unresponsive. It has no consciousness, no will, no agency. It cannot create, love, or dream. It is a mere object, a thing, a piece of matter. It exists only in relation to other things.
The properties that make things concrete, that give them weight and substance, are also the properties that make them limited and finite. The rose has a beautiful fragrance, but it can only be smelled within a certain radius.  The sky is vast and infinite, but it is also bounded by the horizon.
This duality of things is what makes them so fascinating, so mysterious. They are both real and unreal, both present and absent. They are both concrete and abstract, both material and immaterial.
And yet, even in their nothingness, things have a presence, a significance, a meaning. They are not just objects to be used and discarded, but symbols of a deeper reality. They are windows into the soul of the world, into the mystery of existence.
They are a reminder that, in the midst of all our struggles and uncertainties, there is still something solid and real to hold on to, something that endures beyond our limited vision.
In the end, the concrete properties of things are both a blessing and a curse. They give us a sense of stability and security, but they also limit us and bind us to the physical world. They are a reminder of our mortality, of the fact that we too are nothing and will one day return to the dust. But they are also a source of wonder, of beauty, of awe.