One of my favourite things to do is walk along the beach at sunrise or sunset. On my walk one morning I was thinking through a commonly held secularist view that faith or spiritual beliefs are private and have no impact on what happens in the classroom. That is, ‘maths’ is ‘maths’: 2+3=5, no matter what your belief system.
However, my attention was drawn to the amazing sunrise. I had known what time to set my alarm because of the predictability of the sunrise. I had looked up the tide chart the night before and knew that I would have plenty of sand to walk upon as the tide was low. Another predictable pattern. Different wavelengths of sunlight created the beautiful colours in the sky. The birds that dipped in and out of the water, perfectly designed to fly, were carried along by the wind currents. They too, knew what time to be up to fish for their breakfast.
I was reminded of the patterns that have been built into our world by an amazing creator. Predictable patterns that He uses to hold everything together. Patterns that I can rely on.
Before I left, I had checked BOM (the weather) on my phone to make sure I wouldn’t be rained on. I used its torch to lock the house because it was still dark. I was using the same phone to listen to worship music as I walked. My phone: an amazing piece of technology, driven by a vast array of algorithms, and mathematical patterns captured and utilized by humans. Its design was such a blessing to me.
Learning always has a context, whether articulated or not. Even when we think it is void of context. Without offering context, we might just be affirming to our students that numbers are just boring squiggles on a page, when they are clearly so much more!
“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
Psalm 65:8-9
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.”