(This is a stream-of-consciousness set of notes I made about what we place our trust in)

Christ = source of life, order, creation of something new. ultimate sacrifice for all (scripture)

Anti-Christ = convergence on self, attempts to “gain” everything that is already in existence, ultimate self-focus

Our role: receive life from Christ, the source. We cannot create life in our finity, for “everything that is, has been, and everything that has been will be again.” John 16:13-15 life flows from Christ to the Spirit, which is in believers.

“How???” … If ultimate convergence = obedience to law = method mastery, “what” shall we do to receive Christ? The question is invalidated by it’s premise: that methods cannot bring life. John 17:3. And indeed, we have an example of someone asking exactly this question. Matthew 19:16-26. In the end, there is nothing we can do to receive Christ/eternal life. We must believe what he said, and honor him as Lord. This isn’t a method, this gets to the fundamental nature of the universe, and defines who we are. What we do does not define who we are. Who we are defines what we do. And what we believe is “god” of this universe, be it nothing, entropy, evolution, humankind, etc… defines who we are. God injected this world with his presence, his love, that we might believe and become part of his family. Jesus was a tear in space-time, the creative force of the big bang’s zero time walking the earth. And his presence sent ripples through the universe, and the “Spirit of truth” promised to all who believe him means he is present and active still. So what are we to “do”?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, ‘My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?’ He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.’ The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11, 1:18, Daniel 12:4, 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ecclesiastes 12:8, 12:13-14)

Justice but mercy, etc… We cannot have both in our finity, our convergence lacks balance. A dynamic equilibrium is what science predicts and we seek, but it cannot yield perfection. Convergence towards God is true convergence, apart from Him, life is a numerical solution. Algebraic solutions yield relationship, meaning, and that is what Jesus offers in his linking of himself to God and the Spirit, and to us through the Spirit. When we “prove” through Newton’s method of convergence, we can only be fairly certain. An algebraic solution is different. It represents a tenet, it describes the relationship between things absolutely, in an abstract and final way, and we can believe in the truth of the solution. Humanity is searching this fractal universe for the meaning of life, or trying to reconcile believing in no meaning with their reality. Jesus=Lord. This is my fundamental unifying theory. I believe it like I believe the Pythagorean theorem. Though the implications are more abstract truths, rather than mathematical ones, they jive with reality. Finally, the more I believe and trust him, the more life he gives me. I cannot create life, but I can receive it. John 17:20-24. I must become less, he must become more. Erasing identity, individuality? “New name, white stone, known only to him.”

What do you trust in?

Newtonian mechanics.

General/special relativity.

Quantum mechanics.

Superstring theory.

Some future G.U.T.?

Can you trust your incomplete scientific model of the universe? I mean really trust it. Does it give you repeatable, predictable results? To what extent? To what precision?

I saw a slashdot article the other day that talked about numerical vs. algebraic solutions to an equation. And one of the comments was about how the algebraic–exact–solution was still useful because it helped you understand the relationships/meanings (fill this out) vs. a converging solution which would be merely “practically” useful in a finite amount of converging steps.

Science, economics, technology, politics, communication–they’re all on a path of convergence. But that is all they will ever be–an approximate solution. We are all trying to solve something, and although we can’t seem to agree even what it is we’re solving, we are getting more and more efficient at at, whatever it is. What is it we are converging to? As we gain more and more power over our universe, and more people have access to that power, what is at the singularity? Who should wield the ever increasing power? There are plenty of interested parties.

Without an absolute, without an exact solution, it’s anyone’s guess where we will converge. Interestingly enough, Jesus flat out tells us. We’ll converge on Jerusalem. Note that he says this will be a convergence of desolation, judgement, and punishment. Certainly, the armies will believe it’s another step towards converging on a perfect world. Everyone has their idea about convergence and how the world should be, and whether it’s expressed in economics, politics, “religion,” or engineering, it represents a step in the “right” direction. It’s what we devote our lives to. Equitable wealth distribution? No more humans to muck up the planet? A perfectly efficient and liquid market economy? More random acts of kindness? Family values? Individual rights? Peace? Health?

The fact is, whether we like it or not, we are on a convergence path. The human impulse is to “improve” it’s surroundings, and has been for a long time. And we remember. But whatever solution path we’re on, it’s of the numeric kind. If only we had an algebraic, exact solution to life.

Jesus calls it “the kingdom of God.” And like all algebraic solutions, it gives more than a snapshot, practical approximation of life. He doesn’t give values to variables, instead he says things like “The kingdom of God is like…” And he tells people “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” In the end, the algebraic solution is not a pragmatic one, in a sense. For the solutions we seek on our own are too small. We are finite, alas. It makes sense, then, for an authentic God to understand that we have no real power. The real solution is not something we can do, or understand. It’s something we must believe, and obey. For when we believe we can converge by ourselves successfully, we grant Godship status to ourselves.