Proofs and Everyday Life

In this last unit you spent some time studying proofs. As you discovered, proofs require an interesting combination of both innovation and obedience. On the one hand, the laws you use to prove your answer are set and immutable; they must be obeyed. On the other hand, there are a few different ways to use those laws to arrive at the same answer; some of the journey to the right answer involves your own creativity.

As it turns out, most conclusions and decisions contain this balance of utilizing the absolutes while also allowing for the creativity of the moment to navigate the process. Part of what has motivated so much change yet also so much consistency in the Judeo-Christian tradition throughout history is their own journey of holding these ideas together.

Christians today are constantly trying to sort out which things need to remain consistent and orthodox as they reveal immutable elements of God’s nature, while also trying to decide what other things are open to flexibility and mobility as long as the ultimate landing point is achieved.

Jesus himself does this in the Sermon on the Mount when he takes ideas about how God wants us to live and teases out the unchanging truth (or “rule”) from the part that is open to creativity. (Take a look at the Sermon on the Mount now if you need to be reminded)

Life in the Spirit invites us to both obedience and freedom. So when making a decision, it’s important to look at what generations in the past have thought, and what the absolutes and boundaries are, while also being sensitive to what the mission of the moment is requiring in order to move forward.

Discussion: Think of a decision you’ve made in the recent past. Justify your choice. How did you use absolutes mandated by parents, God, or another authoritative source, as well as creativity to make your decision. Then, explain one of the proofs you did for this unit: how did you use the postulates or “laws” as well as your own strategies for solving it?