Immediate mathematical (and scientific) curiosities

Math problem #1a (plus a little science): In Chicago ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64"], the earliest possible sunset time ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=12&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] is 4:20 p.m., and the earliest sunrise time ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=6&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] 5:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m. after subtracting an hour due to Daylight Saving Time); the latest sunset time ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=6&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] is 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. after subtracting from DST), and the latest sunrise time ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=1&year=2010&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] is 7:18 a.m. The problem (yes, this is a literal problem in my opinion): after finding the difference between the earliest and latest possible sunrise times, and the earliest and latest sunset times (make sure to convert the earliest sunrise and latest sunset times to non-DST), it turns out that the change between earliest and latest sunset times is seven minutes greater (3h 10m) than the corresponding sunrise times (3h 3m).

Math problem #1b: According to timeanddate.com ["http://timeanddate.com/"], the sunrise and sunset times on June 21, 2009 (the summer solstice) ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=6&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] are 5:16 a.m. and 8:29 p.m., respectively, making the day length 15h 13m 32s. On December 21, 2009 (the winter solstice) ["http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=64&month=12&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1"] the sunrise and sunset times are 7:15 a.m. and 4:23 p.m. respectively, making for a day length of 9h 7m 54s. The problem here lies in taking the sums of the two solstices' day lengths. Ideally, they should come out to 24h 0m 0s exactly (or within a minute or so), but this particular sum stands at 24h 21m 26s. Something has to account for the additional 20+ minutes. I imagine it would have to do something with adding the sums of all 365 (or 366 if it's a leap year) day lengths, and making sure it adds up to the product of 12 and 365 or 366.

Conclusion from #1b: if it is true that nighttime is shorter at the summer solstice than daytime at the winter solstice, then one might have to conclude that, to make up for this discrepancy, there must be more days of extreme shortness in the winter than days of extreme length in the summer.

Math problem #2 (a real one, with simple calculations instead of scientific debates): Your starting point (d=0) is the front of the northbound left-turn lane on Ridge Ave in Chicago intersecting with Howard St. Your starting time (t=0) is the instant the green arrow shows, allowing you to turn left. Your ending point is the intersection of Howard St and Western Ave, a distance of 0.3 miles from the starting point. Your ending time is the instant the westbound light at the Howard/Western intersection turns yellow (still TBD, largely due to the cell-phone ban while driving in Chicago, I presumably can't carry a stopwatch with me while driving) Calculate the following: the exact time between green arrow (at t=0) and the yellow light (at t=n); and the speed necessary to arrive at the Howard/Western intersection before the light turns yellow. [It would probably help to have a more exact distance; 0.3 miles is much too vague--ideally I'd be looking for something in units of feet or meters.] Also, be sure to account for amount of time needed to complete the left turn in the Howard/Ridge intersection.

For the record, I'm gonna say something around 40-45 miles an hour. Since the speed limit on Howard is 30, I believe (it could also be 25), making it through the Western Ave intersection off a left turn onto Howard from Ridge is most likely unattainable.

A Faraway State of Mind

Thomas More (not the Sir Thomas More ["http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tmore.htm"], but he was named after him) gets up at 6 AM every day to get ready for work. It's your typical office job, spend eight boring, lonely, mind-numbing hours a day staring at a computer screen with flickering lights zooming at an insanely fast rate. Work starts at eight, but he needs to get up early enough -- without disturbing his roommate Sam, of course -- to get dressed, shower, eat, and get out of the house in time for the 7:15 bus.

Out of the house at 7:05, Thomas trudges through the late-winter sludge that used to be snow. It is, quite frankly, a depressing grey day -- kinda the norm for February -- perfectly suiting his thoughts and his attitude.

 

Thomas: (walking across a college campus, on the phone with Maggie) Hey Mags, how's your paper coming?

Maggie: Oh! Hey Thomas! You've caught me -- haven't written it yet, as I haven't even read the book! Eek!

Thomas: Oh geez, sorry to hear that! Listen, I'm on my way to Carson Hall right now, gotta make some photocopies for my project. Mind if I drop by for a bit?

Maggie: Yeah! Sure! That'd be great!

Thomas: Alright, see you in a bit.

Maggie: See ya!

Thomas and Maggie went to college together a few years back. They'd gotten to be pretty good friends, until life sent them to different parts of the continent after graduation. The funny thing was, their running into each other the first time was kind of an accident. Thomas had been working on a term paper for a something-or-other class one day and decided to take a lunch break. After lunch, he checked his email at nearby Carson Hall, a building he'd scarcely been in the whole time he'd gone to school. Midway through checking said email, a gorgeous female sat down across from him. They'd both been in school together for a year and they'd never ran across each other before. I tell you what, she was stunning. Not only that, but a heckuva conversationalist. Next thing you know, they were pooling their coupons and setting up pizza dates together.

They'd gotten to be quite good friends. You see, in college they shared a couple classes and sang together in a church choir in town. Every Friday evening, they would get together with a few friends and have game nights, playing Settlers of Catan, Mille Bornes, cards... and of course, the occasional meal where they'd chat about school and life and whatever's on their minds. They'd gotten to be quite good friends, indeed.

 

The bus ride to downtown Centropolis takes about a half-hour. Imagine riding a bus down Western Ave from Howard to Lawrence, or riding down Nicollet from Diamond Lake Rd to Lake St. Yeah, it takes about that long. It's enough time for Thomas to sneak in a legitimate nap if he's still really tired. Of course, he might haplessly run into a character on the bus: a tattoo artist who sings in a famous a cappella group, a microbiologist who moonlights as a breakdancer, an auto mechanic who studies string theory on the weekends. But that's only if he's lucky. Most of the busfolk are humdrum bores like Thomas, or whiny minimum-wage earners always complaining about their bosses, customers, or both. And sadly, he usually isn't that lucky. Or so he says. Not that the depressing February weather helps much.

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Thomas' best friend Bosendorfer lives about an hour away, on the other side of the metro area. They grew up together in Centropolis, went to college together, and even roomed together after graduation for a couple years until Bosendorfer received a more lucrative job offer out in the rich suburb of Baxter. But the two of them had been through thick and thin of life together over the years, and Bosendorfer always seemed to be a reliable refuge. So it was no surprised when, one recent evening, Thomas gave him a call.

Bosendorfer: Hey!

Thomas: Hey Bose, how are you doing?

Bosendorfer: Hey Thomas. I'm alright. How about you?

Thomas: Eh, not too bad. Just been working and trying to save up and get by.

The conversation was pretty basic at first. They talked about whatever it is that friends talk about, ranging from work to occasional dreams and aspirations; to current events, whether in sports or politics or news in general. The local minor-league basketball team, the Centropolis Hot Shots, have been doing well this year. They were often a hot conversation topic as a result. A recent beatdown of the venerable but rival LeBaillyopolis Secrets happened to be a large point of discussion on this particular evening.

 

But then the conversation turned serious. You see, during their many years of best-friendship, Thomas and Bosendorfer developed a habit of checking to make sure each has told the other absolutely everything that's been going on in his life before hanging up for the night. Aside from the adage that "best friends tell each other everything," the two have been quite busy with their own lives lately that phone calls have been their main mode of conversation.

So of course, Bosendorfer naturally had to ask: "Anything else going on in your life that you want to talk to me about?" Now Thomas generally doesn't just spill stuff, especially if it's personal. But with Bosendorfer on the line, he felt he would have to oblige. "Well," Thomas started, "there is something that's kinda just been on my mind for awhile..." He paused, then sighed while collecting his thoughts. "There's this girl..."

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The bus stops at a terminal a block away from Thomas' work at around 7:45. The whole bus empties out all at once. Given that this is the big city in winter, mountains of snow and God-knows-what litter the curbsides, forcing all those who leave the bus to endure at least two irritating steps through the frozen, light-brown glop. Lucky Thomas; after stepping through said glop, he gets to cut through a parking garage to an elevator that takes him up to his eighth-floor company. Like the cubicle at which he works, the elevator is predictably cramped. At best it fits four people. But that's what Thomas gets for working in a fourteen-story building that couldn't have been built after 1960. From there, Thomas enjoys a day in which the brightest light comes -- unhealthily -- from his computer screen; and every half-hour some drone of a superior or a whiny coworker sonically invades his ears with words that he generally believes should never succeed each other in the English language.

Thomas: I just need to move on. It's been what, four years? Four flippin' years since I last saw her. It's too flippin' late. I shouldn't be doing this to myself.

Bosendorfer: I hear what you're saying. It sucks, it really does. But, you know, the two of you were pretty good friends and you do still talk on occasion.

Thomas: Yeah, that's true. But always just wondered -- you change this, do that a little differently, change another couple things -- I just thought that much of her, but didn't have the guts to say anything.

Bosendorfer: (sighs) Yeah... it happens... happens to a lot more people than you think.

Thomas: I... I just think... what if I'd known her longer, how much would that have changed things?

Bosendorfer: I know. A lot of things could've happened. But you also knew what would happen if you did ask her and she said no. Sometime people who are friends, just... are happy being friends.

Thomas: Yeah... that's very much true. Problem though, is for some reason I can't even do that; it's like I just don't have the ability. I want to be happy just being friends with Maggie, but I just can't.

Bosendorfer: I dunno ... I think you've done quite well being her friend, from what I saw. I know you don't feel like it, but you have. I mean, even though she's been busy all this time all the way out in Fordstate doing what she's been doing, she's always going to remember you for being the good friend that you've been.

Thomas: (pauses, taking in Bosendorfer's wisdom) I guess it's just going to have to take longer than I thought it was gonna take. he sighed. (glances at the clock) Well, I should probably let you go. It's getting late and I gotta get up early tomorrow.

Bosendorfer: Yeah, same here. Got work tomorrow, myself.

Thomas: But hey, thanks for being a great friend. It's always good to talk to you.

Bosendorfer: Yeah! You too. I mean, I'm always glad to help.

Thomas: Thanks! Definitely. Well, catch you later?

Bosendorfer: Yeah, you take care.

Thomas: Have a good night.

Bosendorfer: G'night.

 

It generally takes about ten minutes for Thomas to walk from Roland Library to Carson Hall, where Maggie happened to be at the time. Some have said it takes Bosendorfer only three minutes; but he denies it, saying it's impossible, and that it would still take five minutes while running. Others say ol' Bosey has a trick up his sleeve or something that enables him to walk certain distances in a much shorter amount of time. Either way, it's generally just crazy and it boggles the mind just to comprehend that.

It was getting late in the semester. It wasn't quite finals season -- those were at least 2-3 weeks away -- but it was at a point in the semester where projects were beginning to be due. Hence Thomas' trip to Carson Hall to make some photocopies. There's no reason he likes that particular building's copier machines; but he sensed that Maggie was a bit stressed, and getting to see her would undoubtedly be worthwhile. She was in the computer lab when Thomas walked in.

Thomas: (whispers, settles in the workstation next to Maggie) Hey.

Maggie: Hey.

Thomas: How's your book coming?

Maggie: I just started. I'm about five pages in.

Thomas: What book d'ya have to read?

Maggie: (holds up book) It's for my Ethics of War class.

Thomas: (reading the book's title) "Faith and Force." Oh, hey, cool, religion!

Maggie: (scoffs) Ha, not really... (Thomas gives her a puzzled look) I mean, not that religion isn't cool, it's more this book is giving me fits.

Thomas: Oh... sorry to hear that. Work gettin' you down?

Maggie: A bit, yeah... how's your project coming?

Thomas: (shrugs) It's coming. I've got my main points all lined up, but I had to grab a couple books -- I'm using some of their data for a few graphs that I'm going to throw in my presentation.

Maggie: (eyes widen) Wow... That sounds like a lot of work.

Thomas: I guess. I'll just be glad to get it done... when's your paper due?

Maggie: Monday morning.

Thomas: Dang, you're gonna have a fun weekend.

Maggie: No kidding.

Thomas: Hey, are you gonna be alright though?

Maggie: (sighs) I suppose. I mean, it's definitely overwhelming...

Thomas: (nods, glances at the clock on the wall) Hey, I should probably get going.

Maggie: Yeah... hey, you wanna get dinner sometime soon?

Thomas: Yeah, that would be great!

Maggie: How does tomorrow night sound?

Thomas: Ugh, no can do. I have to give my presentation the next morning, so I'll be spending all of tomorrow working on it. What about sometime this weekend?

Maggie: Aw, geez. I'll probably be working on this paper all weekend.

Thomas: (sighs) We'll figure it out.

Maggie: Why don't I call you when I need another break?

Thomas: Yeah, that'll work. (Maggie smiles) I should probably let you get back to your reading.

Maggie: OK.

Thomas: You take care, alright?

Maggie: You too.

 

The buses start lining up around 3:45 at the terminal one block away from Thomas' workplace. Usually rush isn't until an hour later, but the more successful people who work for more successful and prestigious businesses and corporations are the ones who get off at 5. Not Thomas. Because he's still just starting out, he's also lucky enough to be able to drag himself back outside in the cold, grey February weather and begin his evening commute an hour earlier.

On the bus, Thomas keeps reflecting. On the day back in college when he ran into Maggie before making photocopies for a project that seems utterly meaningless now, he had thoughts running through his head. Thoughts about his feelings for Maggie. Irritation at the fact that he couldn't act on them. Regret that he didn't say goodbye at graduation. Couldn't say goodbye. Couldn't fathom the thought that, because of his thoughts and failing to make them known, the next time he'd see her could possibly be his last.

The bus crosses 5th St, 10th St, and 15th St. It crosses 20th, 30th Parkway, and 40th. Thomas finally signals his stop at 44th St, and after exiting he walks two blocks east to 2nd Ave, to the apartment he shares with Sam. Sam is out until 6 working at Starbuck's ten blocks away. Thomas has some time to kill, perhaps listening to music while playing Solitaire will do the trick.

Right before 6:00, his cell phone rings. It's Bosendorfer. Thomas picks up. Bosendorfer wants to know if Thomas would like to go to the Ribbon Star Club tonight. Yes he does. Jazz musician Steinway Coleman and his combo band are playing. Just then, Sam gets home from work. Would Sam like to go along as well? Yes he would. The three meet at the Ribbon Star Club at 6:45. They exchange greetings, grab a table, and order food and drinks. They start catching up on life: Sam is being considered for a promotion at the Starbuck's at which he works; Bosendorfer's submission for his workplace's new magazine design was accepted, and will take effect beginning with the next issue, scheduled to be a couple weeks away; Thomas, as far as we know, is doing well at his job, but has an eye at continuing education at the graduate school level. In other news, the Centropolis Hot Shots continue their winning streak, having demolished the Delano City Swords on the road the previous evening. The playoffs start in a couple months; this could be the year! Centropolis' minor league baseball team, the Rattlesnakes, will be starting their season soon, and they seem to have some talent on their squad as well.

But then, after the food has been mostly eaten, and a beer or two consumed, Thomas turns the conversation.

Thomas: You know, you guys, I always love hanging out with you and talking with you, but it seems that all we ever talk about these days are our jobs.

Sam: Yeah, that's true, I guess.

Bosendorfer: What's on your mind, Thomas?

Thomas: I've just been thinking... is this it? Is this what life's supposed to be about... about moving up the career ladder and making money? Is personal success all that matters anymore?

Bosendorfer: This is about Maggie, isn't it?

Thomas: (sighs) Maybe.

Sam: Who is this?

Bosendorfer: Some girl we, uh... we knew in college. Thomas really liked her ... still does, I think.

Sam: Really?

Thomas: Maybe. I'm not sure anymore.

Bosendorfer: What do you mean?

Thomas: It's just... it's been so long now. She's all the way down in Fordstate doing her thing, and I'm here doing my thing. If thinking about Maggie and ... (agonizing over this) ... being with her... or anyone else, for that matter... if it isn't the point of my life, then I ... I need to know what IS. I'm just tired of dealing with this.

Sam: Why don't you just call her or email her and tell her how you feel?

Thomas: Dude... it would be awkward. I haven't seen her in a long time.

Sam: Well, then... well, we're in a bar. Look around you, there's got to be at least several attractive and available ladies around you. Check out that cute one at the table over there.

Thomas: (sighs) I don't know. Maybe this isn't even worth it. But I don't want to be some drone caught up in the allure of personal success either. I just want my life to be worth living.

Bosendorfer: Well, what makes you happy? What do you want to do with your life?

Thomas: For starters, live...

Bosendorfer: You know what you could do, save up some money and then take a trip somewhere. If you wanted, you could go visit Maggie in Fordstate.

Sam: At the very least, you'll be doing something want to do, instead of hoping something happens.

Thomas: Aw, darn it, you guys are so right! The three of us should go on a road trip sometime, maybe this summer.

Bosendorfer: Well, it's a possibility; I'd definitely be up for it ... But seriously, I actually do think it would be a good idea to go visit Maggie in Fordstate. I'm sure she misses you.

Thomas: (chuckles) Haha, alright, get off my case already!

The emcee interrupts the conversations of Thomas, Bosendorfer, Sam, and everyone else in the room to announce the band for the night. Soon afterward, Steinway Coleman and his gang send all the guests in the room to a faraway state of mind, intoxicated and lost from their troubles.

2010 Lenten Devo 1*

* I have an asterisk in the title because there is no Scripture involved with this particular devotional. I haven't been able to find either of my Bibles since I've moved back to Chicago, and I'm beginning to think they're still in storage somewhere. I'll have to make do with experiences, other books, and things I've heard word-of-mouth.

At small group last night I banded with a couple of brothers in the last part of the evening in which we break up into even smaller groups (i.e. 2 or 3, or sometimes 4), tell each other what's going on in our lives and in our minds at the moment, and then pray for each other. The three of us have been somewhat in the same boat, all past "normal" college age, but still trying to find our way to success in life (or however you might like to call it). In essence, we're all going through trials. But in our discussions and prayers, the following things came through our minds:

1.) The season of joy. I will admit that of the ones I will list in today's post, this point is the one I have the weakest handle on. But as I (barely) understand it, the season of joy always follows the season of trial. At some point our hard work will pay off, and we will be handsomely rewarded (what said reward is, or how it comes about is still very much a mystery), but we have to trust in it and take some chances. That's about all I know on this, and I will now segway to my second point...

2.) God can only "steer the boat if it's moving." This is something that I've been aware of for some time, but always struggled with. Having grown up not really trusting in anything (the church was the one thing I did trust until it too imploded when I was far too young), I've always looked at God and the idea of Him being all-powerful as totalitarian. He makes the rules, so we just pretty much have to obey them. Therefore, since I stopped working for AmeriCorps late last summer, I found myself in a position where I kept waiting for God to tell me what to do (after all, it is He that decides). But apparently, He can't say yes or no if I do nothing.

...And, that's actually a really mind-blowing concept. You see, it has been preached and preached that God has all the power (and it is true), but the reality is, we have to trust Him to use His power for Him to actually use it. Confusing? Do remember that when we worship God we are also in a relationship with Him. Relationships are two-way streets; relationships with God are no exception, either.

That's really scary. Somehow, because of this, I feel like I have more power. I'm not sure why. But it probably only works so long as God and I are on the same page. I would have no power if I decide to do something, and He decides, nuh-uh, I don't want you to do that. But if somehow I'm doing something and He wills it, then, holy crijole ... !

[Before I move onto the third point, I have to say this revelation actually hit me right as I was writing. Usually when I write about these things, I'm reflecting on something that recently happened, and by said time of writing, I am more able to communicate whatever profound truth it is that I have learned. The point of all this, is that I took my time writing point #2, and it's the only reason that it's moderately coherent.]

3.) The third thing that came to mind was the phrase "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, but deliver us from evil." For some reason I feel like I've recently blogged about this, but I wanted to bring it up now because that phrase has stuck with me for much of the last month. The funny thing is, I grew up saying the "traditional" version of the Lord's Prayer, the one that starts with "Our Father, who art in heaven..." I guess I never really thought highly of the "contemporary" version, but I'm beginning to reconsider, thanks to the phrase I mentioned in the first sentence of this paragraph. Thing is, the traditional version substitutes "sins" with "trespasses," and substitutes saving us from trial with leading us not into temptation. Given that right now I'm more responsive to "sins" than "trespasses", and concerned with surviving my trials than staying away from temptation, I've been leaning more towards the newer version.

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Dang, now I want to go get something accomplished. Ideally, that means finding a job (and in a longer-term sense, continuing to grow socially), but I may decide to settle for assembling a couple pieces of furniture. I'm just a little sick of the tall stacks of books and papers, and having to go through them all the time to find whatever it is I'm looking for.

Forgiveness, pt. 2

I mentioned a little bit about Soren Kierkegaard last post, but I kinda wanted to devote a separate one to his prayers ["http://www.thewords.com/articles/soren1.htm"]. I became acquainted with these words a few years back, when the St. Olaf Chapel Choir sang Samuel Barber's Prayers of Kierkegaard ["http://www.emusic.com/album/Chicago-Symphony-Orchestra-And-Chorus-Samuel-Barber-The-Lovers-Prayers-Of-Kierkegaard-MP3-Download/10754198.html"] for its spring concert. In some ways it's a statement of faith, kind of like the creeds and the Catechism that Catholic, Anglican, and Episcopal (and other similar denominations) kids have to learn en route to confirmation.

The bit of text that stood out to me from that used for Barber's masterpiece comes in Prayer IV (it's also my current gmail signature): Father in Heaven! Hold not our sins up against us but hold us up against our sins so that the thought of You [when it wakens our soul, and each time it wakens,] should not remind us of what we have committed but of what You did forgive, not of how we went astray but of how You did save us! A lot of people (both in the faith and out) seem to miss this point. It's not about sin and punishment. It's not about that. It's about forgiveness, about turning our hearts. Regardless of what one believes, I imagine it's undeniable how powerful those moments of forgiveness can be.

I'm probably "borrowing" a concept from Keller, but imagine you've been in a nasty car wreck. Imagine that, for whatever reason, life has been a bit of a struggle lately (could be with work, with relationships, with family, etc), and while distracted you rear-ended a stopped car. Imagine that there was no way you could have stopped, so you plow into it at 30 mph. Both cars are probably totaled at this point. Since you caused the wreck, you're on the hook for thousands of dollars, and additional liability (perhaps the other person was hurt in the wreck, and perhaps so were you). Having your insurance spike, on top of medical bills and fixing your own vehicle, your life would seem over, or at least a hell of a lot worse. All this occurred, in spite of your intentions (you never wanted this to happen), past driving record, and perhaps degree of morality in your life. Honestly, very few would blame you for being resentful that all this got dumped on you for no reason at all.

Now, imagine you're the other person. Your car just got totaled while sitting at a red light (or a stop sign), and you're probably hurt. Imagine that you've also been having a number of issues in your life (especially lately), and it's possible that this crash puts you even further in the red. You need the money, and you're probably upset that you did nothing wrong and yet got hit. Very few would blame you for being resentful at the cause of all this.

How do you respond? How should you respond? It's tough; it really is. In January of last year, I got rear-ended on the side of an interstate by a skidding vehicle. I claimed some money off of that to pay for my expenses, thinking that things were worse than they were, and, while spending some, I kept the rest. I prayed for the family of the driver that hit me, that they would get through the ordeal (I did, after all, raise the driver's insurance for a 20-year-old college girl that was probably screaming at the top of her lungs when she realized her car was going to hit mine). I prayed for forgiveness on both sides, because situations like this can get quite emotional and contentious.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have made the claim. I'm reasonably positive that I would have made it out of January and February alive, and it wouldn't have needed to come at the cost of burying someone else. After all, that money was the difference between me leaving Minnesota in October vs. leaving Minnesota in December, and I look back sometimes and wonder if I would have been better served leaving sooner. I mean, that money that I did claim from the family of the driver that hit me? All gone; it's as if it never existed.

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I'm not sure how I got from Kierkegaard to my car crash over a year ago. Or maybe I do; I remember it had something to do with forgiveness, though. Oh yeah! Getting back to the hypothetical car crash that I brought up, imagine how much someone's world would be turned if one forgave the other. I mean, the driver that got hit could choose to not place a claim on the driver that caused the crash; or, the latter could cover the claim, and then go cover everything until the former was completely healed. Either of those mind-blowing responses would forge a bond between these two strangers.

I guess the moral is that we as humans have immense struggles with forgiveness, even the very best of us. On the rare occasion that someone manages to completely forgive the other, one can attest that it is a very powerful moment. The idea is that God is way better with forgiveness than even our best, and he does this all the time. Now that is mind-blowing.

Definition of sin, part 2

Almost a month ago [“http://amidthenoiseandhaste2.blogspot.com/2010/01/dictionarys-definition-of-sin.html”] I posted the dictionary's definition of "sin," partly in jest (what with all the "religious-types" who say this is a sin and that's a sin, etc), but on a more personal level I was entering into a new church for the very first time, and I had no idea what their doctrinal emphasis would be.

While I managed to keep an open mind about the whole experience (and so far, it's paying off quite well, I think), there was always going to be that little nagging question: are they going to preach about anything I don't like? Are they going to talk about sin endlessly? etc, etc...

I finally finished Keller's book a few days ago. I haven't gone back to read it a second time, and there's a chance it might be a while before I do so. But I decided I needed to find something (else) about the book that leapt to mind so I can blog about it, and perhaps lead others to be interested and read it for themselves.

When I started reading it, there were a few spots that I was uncomfortable with (I will blog about it down the road), and when I came upon the doorstep of the tenth chapter, I feared I was going to hate going through it. Alas, no, I was actually quite relieved. Keller dealt with "the problem of sin" directly but also with loving care. He actually quotes Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard's definition of sin as "not wanting to be oneself before God." (Keller, 168) In other words, sin is desiring anything or putting one's heart on anything but God. He goes on to embellish that point later in the chapter, saying that "every person must find some way to justify their existence... everyone is building their identity on something" (170) and "building our lives on something besides God not only hurts us if we don't get the desires of our hearts, but also if we do." (173)

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Tangent: I have a miniscule idea as to who my regular blog readers are. Just about all of you are my family, my friends, people I care about, and people that I enjoy... and of course the occasional hapless stranger that happens to reach this page via the "next blog" link on Blogger or via Google. I've said this several times, but with posts especially like these, I hope to spread at least a hint of enlightenment or at least generate thoughts among as many folk as I can reach.

The other part about my faith/religious/spiritual journey that I've been on -- I guess -- my whole life, is the idea that to live up to my faith I should at some point attempt to steer people towards God (the dreaded "saved" term comes to mind). I can hear my religious friends whooping it up and shouting "Ay-men!!" ; but I imagine my non-religious friends are -- understandably -- more reticent to just join in. And quite frankly, I'm a bit reticent to talk to non-religious peops about religion because I have no idea how to do this. As a person who strives to be open-minded about ideas in general, I'm more likely to say, "y'know, I see what you're saying, and it makes sense" instead of "I see what you're saying, but here's this hole in your argument, and here's why..."

After reading this book, I think I finally have at least a beginning answer to talking to non-religious people about God. It sounds kinda dumb, but I would personally recommend reading this book. The Reason for God tackles a lot of the concerns and questions that I just don't know how to answer, even though I probably do know how to answer.

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Getting back to the definition of sin, just about everything we do, regardless of what we believe, is sin. But what I got from this particular chapter is that sin isn't necessarily the dreaded you're-screwed-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it sort. Heck, spending hours upon hours on ESPN.com [“http://ESPN.com/“] following the NBA trade deadline is a sin. But it's a sin only because it was energy directed away from God. And quite frankly, I imagine it's one of those things that gets lumped up with other small "transgressions" (or "trespasses," according to the Lord's Prayer) that I can confess, apologize, and atone for later. The "big" sins are ones that directly involve causing hurt in another's life; it's important to make that distinction, and once it's been made, to judge -- or not judge -- according to said sin.

That all being said, I'm far from an authority on this -- or any other -- topic: that's why, if I ever feel called to "spread the Word," I'll probably just point to Keller's book. It'll explain things more directly and open-heartedly than I could ever hope to put in words.