My last few columns have been heavy-duty stuff -- planetary consciousness, divine intervention, the nature of reality. This week, I want to tackle a more lightweight subject: Infinity.

            Granted, most people have never thought much about infinity. Except maybe in astronomy, assuming loosely that the universe goes on forever. In fact, we don’t know where the outer edges of the universe are, because those outer edges are now moving away from us faster than the speed of light. If their light, or radio waves, or whatever, can never reach us, we can never know if there’s anything out there at all.

            A few religious people profess a belief in infinity, although they’re more likely to call it “eternity” -- endless time, rather than endless space.

            My cousin the mathematician will probably disagree with me, but it seems to me that infinity is a logical impossibility.

            Think about the common definition of infinity -- a number so big, sooooo big, that it can’t get any bigger. So big that it includes every number that ever has been or ever will be.

            But if infinity is a numeric quantity, you can always add one to it. Except that you can’t. Because there’s no such thing as infinity plus one. Even if you add one, or two, or ten gazillion, it’s still infinity.

            You can’t add anything to it.

            So the basic rules of arithmetic no longer apply.

Logical contradictions

            Also, if infinity includes every possible number, half of those numbers will be odd, half will be even. But because it is infinity, there will be an infinite number of even numbers. Half of infinity is still infinity.

            Run that by me again?

            We all know that one times zero is zero, right? That makes sense -- if you have no ones, you have nothing. But one divided by zero equals infinity. Whoa -- you divide something by nothing, and you get everything? If you haven’t divided by anything, shouldn’t you still have whatever you started with?

            None of this invalidates advanced mathematics. Math, like theology, has its own internal logic, which may bear little relationship to experience. Math can work with 20 dimensions; human experience is limited to three. Or maybe four, if you include time.

            The square root of minus one is also a logical impossibility, but higher mathematics couldn’t do without it.

            However, we don’t use the square root of minus one in our daily thinking. We do use notions of infinity. And not just when affirming belief in eternity.

            We persist in thinking that there is an endless supply of air, and water, and land, for us humans to exploit. And to damage. We persist in thinking that there are no limits to growth for population, industry, or stock indexes. We persist in thinking the earth is too big for a single self-centred species to affect.

            The fact is, we live on a finite planet. Our resources are finite. Our lives are finite. The planet itself is finite -- at some time, some seven billion years hence, it will cease to exist, incinerated in an exploding sun.

            I wonder what happens to eternal life, when there’s no earth below for heaven to be above.

            Infinity may be a useful concept in higher math. But we would make wiser decisions if we left infinity out of our mental toolkits.

*****************************************

Copyright © 2017 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.

            To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca

*****************************************

YOUR TURN

Last week’s column about tree roots forming something similar to a brain in the soil of the earth did not get much response.

Bob Rollwagen thought my premise was reasonable: “If we think of the human brain as a mass of connected bits of chemical matter that react to the various chemicals generated by the body's organs, it is easy to imagine the inter-dependence of nature through its chemical interactions caused by proximity and forms of touching. Changes in the human chemical balance alter life expectancy. Why would this not be the same to the balance of nature and the future of the planet?”

James Russell pushed the concept a shade farther: “I would add only that, as we are intimately connected with all other life on earth, we are in the process of giving ourselves a lobotomy, too.  The question arises:  can this cancer, humanity, be cured?  Or will it be fatal to its host and so itself?”

And Isabel Gibson commented, “This is timely -- or serendipitous, if you prefer. I just finished reading ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ by Peter Wohlleben, which talks about many of these themes.  It's an incredibly rich -- and sad -- way to look at the world.”

            I too have just finished reading “The Hidden Life of Trees.” While the text focusses mainly on European trees and forests, rather than North American, it’s a well written and mind-opening book. You’ll never look at trees the same way again!

*******************************************

PSALM PARAPHRASES

Psalm 123 has only four verses (a welcome change from Psalm 119!) but it packs a powerful message. When I looked at verse 2 in the biblical version, describing the way a maid is supposed to look at her mistress, a servant at his master, I thought about the way my dog looks at me. 

1. I look up to you.
You stand tall above me.

2. I must roll my eyes up to see your face.
On four paws, I circle around your knees.
I adore you.
You feed me, you pet me, you walk me.
You are everything to me.

3. So open your heart to me.
We dogs have endured enough contempt.
We are scorned, we are beaten,
we are kicked out into the cold and wet,
to fend for ourselves.

4. We know too well what it is like
to be cursed as a cur.

We worship you, but we fear your dominion over us.
Show us that you can be loving;

Welcome us into the warmth of your family.

For paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the Revised Common Lectionary, you can order my book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.

*******************************************

TECHNICAL STUFF

If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.

            To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to jimt@quixotic.ca. Or you can subscribe electronically by sending a blank e-mail (no message or subject line) to softedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca. Similarly, you can un-subscribe at softedges-unsubscribe@lists.quixotic.ca.

            I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca

            I’m leaving out some of the links to other blogs and pages, to see if those links have caused the recent blockages, preventing some of your from receiving the columns at all, and preventing others from sending responses. We’ll see.

********************************************

PROMOTION STUFF

To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols.

            Ralph Milton ’s latest project is called “Sing Hallelujah” -- the world’s first video hymnal. It consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at wwwDOTsinghallelujahDOTca

            Ralph’s HymnSight webpage is still up, http://wwwDOThymnsightDOTca, with a vast gallery of photos you can use to enhance the appearance of the visual images you project for liturgical use (prayers, responses, hymn verses, etc.)

            Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca>

            I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom

            Alva Wood’s satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town -- not particularly religious, but fun; alvawoodATgmailDOTcom to get onto her mailing list.

            Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom or twatsonATsentexDOTnet