The Importance of Calculus

Most people do not advance far in mathematics, and for that matter, do not care to. Often young people comment that they will never use calculus in their profession or in their daily lives. Even many older people will categorically state that they have never used any advanced mathematics in their lives since school. In saying this, however, they miss the intellectual effect of mathematics: mathematics provides a foundational bed of logic that enables a person to compute non-mathematical components in life.

Enter Calculus. Calculus offers us the concept of computing the ideal from a series of approximations. In calculating, for example, the area under a curve, one first thinks of a series of rectangles, the sum of whose areas gives an approximate figure of the area underneath that curve. This approximation is then extended to an imagined infinite number of rectangles (since the human mind, as finite, cannot wrap itself around infinity). By theoretically computing the infinite limit of this approximation, the exact, or ideal, value of the area can be computed. This concept of approximating the infinite or the ideal from the finite or approximate is very powerful.

Let us apply this mathematical concept to a seemingly non-mathematical field--Christianity. In the Christian life, we consider certain ideals--there is the law or standard expected of humans by God, which sinful human beings (and all are sinful) cannot hold to. There is also an example of the ideal, or perfect, Man, the God Man, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect, that is, sinless, life on this earth, exemplifying to us the ideal (perfect) form of humanity. As Christians, we are called to live Christ-like lives--that is, lives that approximate the ideal form of humanity. In a sense, we are finite approximations to the infinite goodness of God. As approximations of the ideal Man, our objective is to make our approximation closer to the ideal, not to make ourselves look good, but to demonstrate how great God is, just as calculus, when applied to the real world, aims to make a sufficiently close approximation to the exact value.

How do we become closer approximations of the perfect God Man? We need to be empowered by the Spirit, we need to study the Word of God, and we need to learn from others’ more (or less) accurate approximations of Christ. Pursuing Christ-likeness is calculus in the truest sense; calculus of the most important kind.

I’ve Gotta Feeling that’s not Self Control

The purpose of art is to communicate that which we cannot communicate with words--our imagination. An artist uses his preferred medium to evoke in the imagination of the viewer the same emotions and ideas that he himself feels and believes. I can tell you that I am sad, but that does not communicate to you the sadness I am feeling. If, however, I sing a sad song, it evokes in you the same sadness I feel in me. This theory of art and imagination was expressed by Kevin T. Bauder, in his weekly article, In the Nick of Time, as a 10 part series entitled The Importance of Imagination.

This theory of art applies to The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling.” I was recently listening to the song, when the main message of the song suddenly struck me in a way it never has before. I realized how the corresponding elements of the song communicate in harmony the emotions and ideas the performers desire to communicate.

When one listens to the song “I Gotta Feeling,” one is immediately presented with the driving theme--a simple sequence of chords that is repeated throughout the song, underlined by the driving bass line and beat. All of the musical elements contribute to cause the listener to want to move head and body. This desire to get mobile is an instinctual response--one doesn’t even really think about it--one just moves. It is almost a loss of control. This is the musical effect of the song.

It is also interesting to look at the intellectual message of the song, expressed in the lyrics. The main point of the song is the idea of losing control. This is echoed throughout the lyrics of the song, but especially in the line: “Lets go way out spaced out \ And loosing all control.” The lyrics correspond to the musical effect of the song--they quantify in words the concept that is communicated by the music.

The Bible contrasts starkly with this idea. In Galatians 5:22-23, self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. In Titus 1:8, self control is an attribute someone who is to be a bishop in the church must have. In 2 Peter 1:16 it is one of the things that is to be added to our faith so as to bring about fruitfulness in our knowledge of Christ. The opposite is expressed in 2 Timothy 3:3, where being without self-control is a mark of how men will be in the “perilous times” of the “last days.” It is clear that Scripture values self-control and sees a lack thereof as evil.

The contrast here is very evident. The message of The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling” is clearly contrary to Scripture. It conforms us to the world, rather than transforming us to be more like Christ. It is exemplary of exactly that which Christians should leave behind. Choosing to follow Christ affects even our music choices, as hard a concept as that may be to understand. The music we choose should evoke in us emotions and ideas that are consistent with a Christ-like and Spirit-filled lifestyle.