An action, and indeed it's opposite action, can be done in either a hard manner or a soft manner. One can swallow softly, or gulp. One can spit softly, and one can spit in a forceful manner. The same goes for breathing: One can inhale softly, or in a sudden gasp, and one can exhale softly, or force the air out in a hard manner. Amazing, huh?
The word used in Okinawan/Japanese martial arts to describe a block (as in blocking a punch) is "uke." "Block" sounds quite hard, doesn't it. Here comes an attack... get that arm up there to meet it and BAM! Funny thing is, the word uke actually means to receive, as in receiving a gift. The attack comes, and with step to the side, or a circular motion, the defender says "thank you for this gift!" (or as the kids say today, "You just got pwnd.").
So...
One can block an attack in a hard manner, meeting force with force:
Or, one can receive the attack softly:
Or even softlier!
There's a time for both hard and soft receiving. The art of receiving is knowing when our response ought to be hard or soft. Despite what one may think, this post today is not about martial arts.
Consider, how do we receive insults? Compliments? Handshakes? A smile? The "evil eye"? A kiss on the cheek? A smite on the cheek? A hand gesture? A hug? A gift? Words of encouragement? Words of correction? God's good providence? God's dark providence? Ought we to receive all of these things hard, resisting with all of our might, returning force against force? A slap to meet the smile? Or, can we sometimes receive with a "thank you," with non-resistance and passivity, with softness?
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
Hard or soft -- the art of receiving.
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