Learning from paradoxes

HS  #4   2015.11.3

Learning from paradoxes

Every child should spend some time flying kites. Kites illustrate a valuable paradox about life.  Anyone who has flown one knows that it exerts a constant pull upward. More to the point, to keep the kite aloft, the operator needs to keep pulling it down. How interesting. The kite is trying – trying – trying to move up, yet it is the very act of holding it down that keeps it up. Let it do what it wants - release the string allowing it soar to the heavens, and the kite will flutter listlessly to the ground. That which seemingly is constraining it, is in fact the very thing that is keeping it aloft. Application: Constraints provide freedom. Paradox.

 Jesus’s teaching was full of paradoxes. Just one example: If a man compels you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it two. This is usually understood by commentators as an admonition to seek the peace by being gracious to one’s enemy -  even at personal cost.  I think they miss the point.  

Roman authorities realized that soldiers in conquered territory needed the help of the subjugated, so they allowed soldiers to require locals to carry their packs for one mile. This was obviously a  “stick in the eye” to the proud vanquished people. How humiliating to be powerless in one’s own country. 

Jesus, with a deep understanding of human nature, was suggesting a way for these dominated people to keep their dignity. Don’t carry the soldier’s pack out of coercion.  The soldier asks for the pack back after a mile. No way!  You’re going to carry it two miles because that is what YOU have chosen to do. YOU are in control of the situation, not the soldier.  Thus by carrying the load two miles rather than one, the Jew bids the soldier goodbye with his dignity intact.   

Fast forward: Those who have seen the classic movie, “Cool Hand Luke” may remember the scene where Paul Newman’s character challenged his fellow inmates to shovel dirt back into the trench being dug, not grudgingly from fear of the whip, but so fast that they might catch up with the back hoe.  In doing so, he transformed them from inmates to free men in a competition.  Doing more than is asked for seems contrary to one’s self interest, but in fact it is not. Paradox.

Another?  Consider the three unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Why not “Life, liberty and happiness? The founders must have realized that even with full life and liberty, the ultimate goal of happiness is not guaranteed.  One doesn’t have the right to happiness, only the right to pursue it.  Why? Because happiness is elusive.  The very act of pursuing happiness, just like the kite, can lead to a fluttering, listless life.  Instead it is those who get involved in a cause that draws one’s focus away from themselves who, often only in retrospect, realize they are happy and fulfilled.  Happiness then stays elusive when it is sought, but often comes as a wonderful byproduct when ignored.  Paradox.  

Yet another? Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the hip novelette of the ‘70’s.  An abiding truth of that little story is that the seagull who lived not to eat, but to perfect the art of flying was, ironically, the only seagull who had a constant supply of fresh tasty fish (by diving into deep water) while the others scrounged for scraps of decayed flesh on the beach.  Once again, the route to the best living is different from what one would expect.

Recall that a paradox is only an apparent contradiction, not a real one.  The existence of paradoxes then reveals that we don’t know ourselves – or reality – all that well.  We are all amateurs at life. I’ve played racquetball for over 30 years, but still consider myself an amateur because my best shots are accidental.   Similarly, I am still an amateur in living because, well into my 6^th decade, often the best things to happen to me are those I would not have chosen because they seem contrary to my best interest.  I am still surprised by life’s apparent contradictions.

Perhaps that is why the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard noted that life must be lived looking forward, but can only be understood looking backwards.  We live our lives amidst paradoxes, but we seldom notice them.  A richer life awaits as we do.

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The necessity of waiting

HS #3   2015.10.6

The necessity of waiting

This seems like an odd question, but bear with me:  What does “5” mean?  Of course it can be spelled “five,” but if checked in a dictionary, there is no definition that gives the meaning we all understand.  (Try it!)

So how did we learn what “five” means?  It obviously does no good to say, “one more than four” or “one less than six” since that just raises new questions. Similarly, it does not even work to say, “It’s the number of pennies in my hand” because the word “number” doesn’t make sense until one understands what numbers are.

So how did we learn?  I think I remember.  Back in kindergarten, we were shown a page with pictures. One picture showed five butterflies. Another was of five quarters. Yet another portrayed five trees.  The question at the bottom of the page asked, “What do these pictures have in common?”  The answer, of course, is “five.”

The important thing to notice here is that the teacher never actually explains “five.” Instead, she can only continue giving examples of five objects, and wait for the spark of understanding to eventually occur in the students’ minds.

A celebrated example of waiting for the spark of inspiration is found in the life of Helen Keller.  When she was nineteen months old, Helen was struck both deaf and blind, probably by scarlet fever.  Going through her childhood years without the usual tools of communication, Helen lived an isolated existence. Imagine the frustration of being helpless and dependent, knowing that others were experiencing so much more.  Imagine the loneliness and fury of an intelligent six year old who could not communicate her thoughts and feelings, could not ask questions.   How could she learn? How could she learn to learn? 

 Anne Sullivan came to live with the Kellers when Helen was six.  

Without Helen’s ability to see or hear, Anne was forced to improvise. She used sign language, but since Helen couldn’t see, she pressed her hand symbol onto Helen’s palm.  But how does one explain to a young, strong willed girl that this strange new routine was the key to unlocking the world?

Just as in teaching the meaning of “five”, Anne could do nothing but patiently wait. As described in the well-known play, “The Miracle Worker,” the miracle occurred a month later when, after Helen had thrown a jug of water at her mentor, Anne forced her to the pump to refill the jug. Then, as the jug was filling, Anne did as she had habitually done countless times before - she spelled, “w-a-t-e-r” on Helen’s palm.

For whatever reason, this was when the spark of insight ignited. Helen, transfixed, dropped the jug in wonder.  It was a personal opening of her mind every bit as dramatic as the gospel writer’s description, “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”  The veil of darkness that had kept Helen isolated and despondent was ripped apart in an instant.  Grabbing her teacher’s hand, Helen learned thirty words that day and began a great life of learning, adventure, scholarship and most important – living in community with other humans.

As an educator, I find it valuable to keep these examples in mind. Obviously, teachers and mentors are indispensible.  Anne Sullivan was proclaimed the Miracle Worker.  However, ultimately, even educators can only wait patiently for the real miracle to happen - for the spark of insight to ignite in the mind of the student.

Indeed, even the student must learn to wait. A graduate school friend once remarked that he did not consider himself to be a “thinker” but instead an “observer of thoughts.” I knew exactly what he meant. Endeavoring to discover a new mathematical theorem in pursuit of a Ph.D., the best I could do was to sit at my desk, lay my head down on my folded arms, empty my mind of its cluttered thoughts, and wait. Wait for a spark of insight and then quickly grab it before it disappeared.  I could identify with the prophet Elijah who after three years of waiting, heard but a still small voice.

Effective teaching and learning at its core then seems to involve patient waiting. For a teacher with a classroom of thirty or more students, this presents a challenge. Each student’s light bulb ignites at its own time. But oh the joy and wonder of witnessing it happen.

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A child at home

HS #2   2015.9.1

A child at home

The well-known Psalm 23 begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” and ends “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  My favorite musical setting of that psalm closes with the phrase, “not as a stranger, nor a guest, but like a child at home.”

Those words give me goose bumps.  The author envisions paradise as being a child at home. What’s the point?

Likely everyone knows from personal experience how it feels to be a stranger – to be uninvited and possibly unwelcome.  Some years ago, Hope College had an outbreak of the Norovirus that caused the entire campus to shut down.  Without access to my office, I spent the morning at a computer in the neighboring seminary library.  Returning after lunch, a note on the front door of the seminary greeted me,  “Please, no Hope students or faculty.”  Entirely prudent and understandable, so no offense taken. However, it provided a valuable lesson, giving just a hint of what it means to be a stranger – not wanted or welcomed.

OK. Understood. No one enjoys being a stranger. But why the distinction between a guest and a child at home?

After all, good hosts serve hearty meals and provide generously for the needs and comfort of their guests. Furthermore, a guest gets a soft chair and pleasant conversation following dinner rather than the task of cleaning the dishes.  What’s wrong with that? Why then do hosts enjoin their guests to “make yourself at home?” Why the universal yearning to be at home?

Easy. The home uniquely offers a deep sense of belonging and the ability and freedom to be oneself. At home I kick off my shoes in the middle of the living room floor, pull my socks off and toss them in a corner, and grabbing a nearby pillow, bury my feet deep into the crevice of the sofa.  I can turn on the TV and surf the channels without asking permission and fall asleep in the recliner or on the living room floor without the risk of offending anyone.

With the imagination of a child, home is even better.  How fun to take the cushions from the couch, balance them on end in a box shape, throw a blanket over the top, and have a cozy, secluded fort.  That’s sweet living – and only done at home.  

It’s no wonder that the lyricist described ideal existence as the security and belonging of a child at home.

Coming to Holland from Iowa twenty-five years ago, I quickly felt at home. I remember attending my first Hope College luncheon casually dressed in my usual tee shirt and shorts and inadvertently sitting at the table meant for the speaker and president. Glancing around at the others who had joined me – all smartly suited in jackets and ties, I greeted them, “I hope you all aren’t feeling over dressed.”  The responding laughter assured me of welcome and acceptance.

Holland, I hope, is a home where all in our community can, figuratively speaking, relax in their tee shirts and shorts. How fun to see the variety of fellow Hollanders  strolling down 8^th Street on a summer evening enjoying the street performers.  Folks are being themselves and socializing with neighbors - all in our common living room.

Maybe most important is to have the belonging, security, and freedom of home in society at large. Indeed, that has been an ideal and hallmark of American life since its founding.  Immigrants were welcomed with their own customs and traditions. Our Bill of Rights guaranteed essential personal freedoms. Later amendments gave a new belonging to slaves (freedom) and women and eighteen-year-olds (right to vote), and guaranteed everyone equal protection.

Equally noteworthy, last year was the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and this summer was the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The new Holland sidewalks with divots and without curbs at street corners help everyone - including the blind and those in wheelchairs – to  “be at home” with better access and freedom.  This summer’s Supreme Court decision allows more people to “be at home” by marrying the person they love.  Even the widening array of options for K-12 education is an important way in which parents have increased ability and freedom to choose what is best for their children. It’s heartening that all of these are examples of a continuing trend enabling everyone to belong  - to live as a child at home.

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Something to Ponder . . .

HS #1    2015.8.4

Something to Ponder . . .

Holland Sentinel Readers – Greetings! And welcome to a new monthly column in the Sentinel: Something to Ponder.  If you’re like me, the best part of reading a newspaper column is getting a new perspective, a different slant, a thought nugget to chew for a while.  I hope this column encourages some of that.

A quick introduction:  I’ve lived in the Holland community for just over 25 years, initially teaching mathematics at Hope College and more recently assuming the chair of the Department of Mathematics at Davenport University. Though a mathematician by profession, I love the liberal arts in general and choral music in particular – a passion presently fulfilled by singing with the Holland Chorale. Out door recreation rounds out my life in Holland.

Much to its credit, Holland is a stimulating place to live.  Riding my bike to church on Sundays carries me past several others - each with its own customs and traditions.  I find myself regretting that one must choose from among them.  However, from the divine perspective, the various styles of worship offered each week might be a rather lovely bouquet.

Similarly, Holland is a community rich in heritage, while also containing a bouquet of cultures and ideologies.   The diversity, as any reader of the Holland Sentinel will attest, provides fertile soil for the exchange of ideas and opinions.  Indeed, the Sentinel serves as a crucible in which we in the community can offer our opinions and beliefs to the scrutiny of our neighbors to be read, thoughtfully considered, debated, and even refuted.

 Are these conversations about ideas, opinions and beliefs worth the trouble?  What’s the value in reflecting on our own beliefs and learning about others?  Is it a sign of hubris to attempt to change another’s opinion?  Do beliefs even matter all that much?  Isn’t what a person does more important than what s/he believes? The English author and theologian G.K. Chesterton , who was a significant influence on C.S. Lewis,  had strong opinions here. He wrote, “There are some people, and I am one of them – who think that the most practical and important thing about a man is his view of the universe.”

 How interesting. If beliefs matter that much, then what should be our reaction when our beliefs are challenged? One extreme is given by the judge, who hearing the prosecutor make his case, agreed, “You’re right!” Then when the defense submitted her argument, responded again, “You’re right!” When the bailiff explained that they couldn’t both be correct, the judge exclaimed, “You’re right too!” 

But certainly the other extreme has its dangers also.  I hope that I have a richer understanding of the world than I did as a teenager. Should I then resolutely hold to the beliefs that I had then?

Aristotle may have found the golden middle ground with the attributed claim, “The mark of an educated mind is the ability to entertain an idea without accepting it.” Intriguing!  Don’t necessarily change one’s mind, but approach a new idea with the willingness to consider it honestly and be willing to change one’s views.  Seems like a good quality for a mind to have. Is this what Aristotle meant by an educated mind?

 An engineering student in my college physics class once complained that the quantum mechanics and relativity we were learning were useless to his career. I have never forgotten the professor’s rely,  “If you only know the things you need to know, you are just one step away from being ignorant, and at any point you might cross over the line.”

 Made sense. According to this definition, a heart surgeon who knows and is interested in nothing except the anatomy of the heart might be flirting with ignorance, while a hamburger flipper who reads books and travels would be far from it.  Hopefully this is what Aristotle had in mind when he used the phrase “educated mind; ” not necessarily a mind trained with a formal education, but instead one that is expansive and inquisitive, one that approaches a new idea with relish and curiosity rather than resistance and fear.

So, friends, this is what I hope we can do by pondering together. We live in a vibrant community rich in ideas and thoughts, so I look forward to offering mine and receiving yours via “Letters to the Editor” and personal emails.  Here’s to the future.

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