March 05, 2014
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I’ve started another set of
college classes and one class, a pre-algebra class, is about to drive me over
the edge. I never understood algebra when I was in high school and in the years
since there has been no improvement. Paul tells me, “For by him
[Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in
him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16 NIV) I’m not one to ever disagree with
Scripture, but I have to tell you I’m having a real hard time thinking that
algebra is something the Lord created!
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I think people recoil from algebra because it does not have the involvement in mundane life that addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division do. If it did, we would think about it often and understand it well. But it has every connection with what makes all our lives so much easier to live and more comfortable. It is behind the development, making, and distribution of almost every object manufactured for our use. We would be in the stone age without it.
-----It sort of reminds me of truth. People recoil from it because it does not have the involvement in mundane life that spinning, fibbing, outright defrauding, and obstructing do. If it did, we would think about it often and understand it well. But it has every connection with what holds reality together and makes our lives possible. It is behind the foundation, creation, and proliferation of everything we use. We would not exist without it, “for in Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16-17)
-----Algebra is a part of the most precise language man has for communicating truth. But as precision goes, the more it is, the narrower is its utility. And so, our algebra is beneficial only in measuring, weighing, timing, or locating a thing. When tolerances must be tight so factory machines will spit out massive volumes trouble free, algebra is a necessity. When mommy bakes the cake, the Lord knows the algebra of her motions while she does quite well by the heuristics of “a pinch of this, a dash of that,” and the toothpick test for doneness.
-----The language of God’s Word brings greater, more useful, more generally applicable, and infinitely more relevant truth to man through what likens more to the heuristics of mommy’s baking the cake than Professor Schmittenheim’s chalkboard scribbling. So it is that more Professor Schmittenheims know the truth of algebra while obliviously ignoring the truth of God’s Word, but more mommies know the truth of God’s Word while blissfully ignoring algebra. The former is fatal. The latter is quite sufficient.
-----Yet, this isn’t to say the Word of God’s language is without its algebraic component. Take for example, “…the kingdom of God…is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17) Righteousness in its least form is the causing of the right effect. The right effect is the one which maintains, builds up, or constructs what will only cause more right. Effects become causes, and most often, not in onezies or twozies but in multitudzies and vast quantities, such that righteousness is an explosion of right being done proportionately making the Big Bang look like a lady-finger firecracker. That Humongous Bang floods all infinity for all eternity with right only. It is rather an algebraic result of “A wise man’s heart inclines him towards the right.” (Eccl 10:2a) Then, by a little math analysis we notice that all this right makes the unavoidable effect of peace. And joy is the calculus of peace. Therefore, “Do good to all men,” (Gal 6:10) “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom 12:10) “…let each of us please his neighbor…” (Rom 15:2) “…in humility count others as better than yourselves” (Phil 2:10) are just a few of the Bible’s short, algebraic equations for measuring, weighing, timing, and locating the right thing for expanding His kingdom.
----We are in the evil age until only God's math be done.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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