While I’ve never been able to figure out the use of it, I still remember the math class in high school where the teacher tried to explain the difference between the base-ten numbering that we use every day and other systems that use a different base. For instance, a base-seven numbering system only uses numbers 0-6, which means the number 225 in base-ten is 441 in base-seven.
Confused?
A search online for information comes back with “No practical reason for it.” But still, there must be some purpose to all this, or we wouldn’t have been taught it in high school. However, I never found a use for trigonometry either.
I am sure someone in the comment section today will inform me of what the purpose is of alternate base mathematics. Amaze your friends with this website.
Simply, the perspective you come from is important.
I remember the first time I traveled overseas and mentioned how where I lived was kind of chilly that time of year with temperatures in the 40s every day. Because of a little thing called Fahrenheit and Centigrade, they thought I was crazy. What kind of person would find 45 degrees (115 Fahrenheit) chilly?
Have you ever watched a debate or argument and realized the parties involved would never reconcile their positions with the other, since their starting points were completely different?
Christians run into this all the time.
If your general thought framework is based around a creator God, the fallen nature of humans, the sin-corruption of all creation, the necessity of a perfect sacrifice to a holy God to atone for sin, and the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ as that perfect sacrifice, you are not even close to being able to talk reasonably with someone who believes none of these things.
Forget all the other core theologies and teachings of Scripture. If we can’t agree at all on the first three verses of Exodus 20, then just forget it and write about the benefits and/or pitfalls of the designated hitter in major league baseball. Save yourself some anxiety.
Perspective is everything. Whether you are writing fiction, nonfiction, books for kids, or Bible studies for teenagers, don’t assume everyone knows what perspective you are writing from.
The art and inspiration in all types of Christian writing are centered around communicating a biblical perspective without saying it. There may be some types of writing (academic, scientific, theological) where you need to explain your perspective in detail. But for the most part, the admonition to “show, don’t tell,” which is a common feature of great writing, is something to study and implement in your writing.
Perspective is everything, especially today. The responsibility of the Christian writer is to set the agenda, lay the foundation, carry the banner, and communicate truth to a spiritually dead world.
It’s an impossible task if you try to do it on your own but find it a great adventure when you realize the agenda you set, the foundation you lay, the banner you carry, and the truth you write about all come from your Father, who won’t allow you to fall prey to the enemy’s snares.
Be a Re-Reader
Recently I sang the blues,
that my life would just not be complete
lacking pricey new Air Jordan shoes,
seated by a a man who had no feet.
He strapped prosthetics on with care,
says I, ‘Oh, man, that’s gotta hurt!’
He merely said, ‘Look over there,’
as a paralytic crawled upon the dirt.
‘I sure would not want HIS estate!’
But the cripple looked up, waved, and smiled.
‘Don’t mind me, I’m doing great,
but have a care, please, for the child
who’s become a favoured pawn today
by those who’d take childhood away.’
Andrew, what a perfect poem about perspective! Still praying and loving you, brother.
Judith, thank you so very, very much for your prayers. I’m deeply grateful, and they’re needed.
God’s will can be hard, but that there is purpose beyond the pain, I have no doubt.
Andrew,
You know how much I love your work. But this one, today, is just beyond any words of praise from me. Thank you and God bless you.
Our only saving grace is Lord Jesus
Dan, this is so good. This could be a full-blown magazine article about the assumptions we make, not just in our writing, but even in our conversations one to one, like a conversation with our spouse. We default to the assumption that your view of the world is my view of the world, and that you actually understand what I am saying. I am assuming that as I type this!
And yes, I remember base 10, base 12, base 7 numbering. [insert groan here]
Dan. Good reminder. In a post Christian world and less people actually reading the Bible for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding then we need to not assume te reader knows even the basics of Christianity. Write with simple beauty and first hand experience with Father God and leaver the reader to the Lord. Believe it or not but colleges have to teach the Bible as literature of students are ever to understand the classics. Perspective is just that important. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you, Dan. This is the best argument I can think of for the existence of Christian fiction.
Oh, Dan, this post is so personally timely for me that I have read and reread it and will read it several more times today. I may have to print that last sentence and post it over my coffee maker. Today is my 55th wedding anniversary, but since the 54th, my beloved husband, with whom I raised a family and served in vocational ministry in the US and overseas, went home to be with the Lord. I do not grieve as those who have no hope, and I am making myself do all the “right” things, but I am devastated. I’ve set aside today to pray and read and write and rearrange my living space to fit my new life alone (as soon as I figure out what that will look like). I write a FB blog called The Widow’s Mites and host a historical website called Seeking Siloam Springs, and work in adult literacy in a college, and consult and edit and write, and travel to visit children and grandchildren. I do GriefShare and prayer group, and go out with friends, and attend church services, as I try to figure out what my new solo role in the Kingdom is going to look like; but I still don’t know what that will be. TODAY, in every one of those areas, I need a perspective checkup. Thank you!
Praying for you, Linda, in this journey called grief. God be with you.
I’m going to check out The Widow’s Mites for some of my friends who are also walking this journey. Thank you for sharing.
So good, Dan. Thanks for sharing!
Also, if you like, you can use my line: I am a writer, not a math-er.
(According to my math friends, anyone can learn. I agree…I’m just not interested. 😆)
Very good point about the need to communicate perspective. I’ve noticed it can be an issue even when communicating with other Christians — little phrase like “letting go of control” and “God’s will” can have such different connotations in different Christian communities!
As for why it’s worth learning different numerical bases in math: the best explanation I’ve come across is that this kind of math helps build resilience — just like doing push-ups builds resilience in physical sports. If one never trains their brain with those relatively easy-to-decipher problems, how would they be able to deal with the much more confusing things later in higher algebra? One needs to build strength up. (And conveniently, it can also serve as one of those “if you hit this sign you will hit this bridge” signs: if you don’t like the unusual number bases in school, you are likely to also dislike higher algebra in college.)
Dan,
Very thought provoking. There is of course, one kind of alternative base system that is vitally important in our world – the base 2 system, which is the root of all computing.
As far as the contrast between the Christian perspective and that of the atheist, I am very familiar with both. What I found was that switching perspectives from disbelief to belief was difficult and took lots of time. But when it finally happened, it was like staring at that famous drawing of a young woman, and then suddenly seeing it as an old woman. The world seemed to change in an instant. When I reached the point of seeing the whole truth of Christ, that change of perspective felt like the sudden realization of a bright, new beautiful reality, that had been there all the time. I can still remember what the atheist perspective is, but I know I will never again have any interest in that kind of darkness, now that I have seen the light.
You’re writing a blog post on a computer which uses ONLY ones and zeroes, (meaning that all the arithmetic is done in base-2), and you can’t figure out any practical use for arithmetic that isn’t base-10?
I should have been more precise in my put-down of alternate base numbering. It’s not that I don’t know what it is for, I just don’t care! This is why there is a Genius Bar at the Apple Store.
Lord, your servant is listening.