This has been a week were I have often referred to silly ‘mathy’ things about the date. I ‘figured’ I could continue that for one last day, especially after ready Seth Goodin recent blog entry.
Mr. Goodin is an author of, I guess motivational and leadership books. Several of which are quite famous. Anyway, his blog is a pretty neat resource for ideas and thought leadership. This week he posted a short and simple entry on the differences between arithmetic and mathematics.
I found this really fascinating for a few reasons. First, it’s because so many times when my boys are struggling with homework in their math classes I tell them, once you get the concept down this is just arithmetic – it’s should be really easy for you. And that is usually the case, as we all understanding arithmetic – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It’s the mathematical concepts that trip us up.
The other reason is that I can relate to him on so many days. At work, and even in life it seems at times that all I am doing is the repetitive aspects of arithmetic – but missing the creative, risk taking, mathematical parts of the day – both in work and in life.
And I think this is also so clear in our spiritual lives. How good are we at doing the basic redundant things – smiling, saying “I’m good”, appearing to have it all together but we are missing the risky parts of live. Things like solving the problem in a relationship, getting to know someone, growing ourselves, stepping out on faith, thinking about our thinking?
It’s a pretty interesting thought for a Friday – especially from a very short blog post. Make sure you read it.
1 Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
