Profound Friends, Math, Grammar, and Oneness [T, 4-18-23]

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter—Profound Friends, Math, Grammar, and Oneness [T, 4-18-23]

 

WHEN THE RIGHT FRIEND APPEARS

I had one of those really irritating dreams, where I knew I was dreaming. It was just regular everyday stuff, not like those dreams where the road disappears or elephants are flying around. The problem was, I knew I was dreaming. But I had to keep going around, doing the stuff, acting like it was real, wishing all the time that I could wake up. Wanting desperately to wake up. I was really getting anxious about whether that would ever happen.

But then my late, great friend and church member, Maury Shepherd appeared, and I thought, “Oh, whenever Maury shows up in a dream, that means the dream is over.  I can wake up.” So, I did.

I’m not sure that Maury had ever shown up in a dream before, and there was certainly nothing to make me think he was a dream-ender, but…

it makes such a difference when the right friend appears. Anyplace.

MATHEMATICAL ACCURACY

I knew a math prof who told me he had become a Christian late in life when he heard people singing the last verse of “Amazing Grace.” When we’ve been there, ten thousand years…we’ve no less days to sing God’s grace than when we first begun. “I was struck,” he said, “by how profoundly accurate that is mathematically.”

GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY

Of course, it is not profoundly accurate grammatically. But “fewer days” does not flow as well melodically as “less days.”

Which reminds me again of Helen’s problem with Les Miles, or at least his parents. When I watch sports on TV, Helen sits on her couch and orders groceries, or socks, [from different places], writes a letter, balances the checkbook, concocts a recipe, looks at pictures of grandchildren or granddog on her computer, and texts with her sister or one of our daughters. All at the same time. Makes for some interesting meals later. Also some interesting listening to what the sports commentators are saying, since they get access only to a small part of one of her ears.

That was when she heard “less miles.” FEWER miles! she shouted at the TV. She believes that accurate grammar is almost as close to Godliness as is cleanliness, and being a home management specialist and teacher, she definitely believes in cleanliness. [It helps that she is a Methodist, since it was John Wesley who said, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”] 

I had to say, “But they’re talking about a coach, and his name is Les Miles.” She thought about it, not for very long, and retorted, “Well, they should have named him Fewer.”

THE GIFT OF ONENESS

Helen is slowing down. She doesn’t multi-task as much anymore. That makes for fewer listening mistakes. It’s also a gift of old age.

As we age, our bodies and brains just won’t do as much at one time as they once did. We have to concentrate more just to remember what we are doing. That is a gift, to be able to live in this one moment, “…to enjoy this big old dumb day,” as Anne Lamott puts it.

As Kierkegaard said, with a slightly different meaning, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.”

Living in the moment, doing one thing…I guess that is mathematically profound, too.

John Robert McFarland