Rev. Cwirla's Blogosphere

Back in my freshman year in high school (1970 in case anyone is wondering), my algebra teacher had us read a strange little book by Edward A. Abbott called Flatland.  Abbott wrote Flatland as a parable on hierarchical Victorian society, but his clever story lives on in the hearts of mathematicians, physicists, and various computer science geeks.

"Flatland" is a two-dimensional world populated by points, lines, circles, squares, etc.  It has length and width but no depth.  A three-dimensional object, such as a sphere, can only be perceived in 2-D terms in Flatland, a point and/or a line.  Some in Flatland flat out denied that there were any higher dimensions; others worked to forbid even speaking of things "above."  A few dared to believe that there was more than the two dimensions of their flat world, and in believing were open to seeing their world from a new perspective.

While Flatland is usually used to stimulate interest in mathematics and physics, it can also apply to religious faith.  If God is n-dimensional, how would He appear us in our three-dimensional universe?  In 3-D, of course, which is why all theology is analogy at some level.  God would have to reach down to us.  We, stuck as we are in three dimensions and time, could not reach up to God.  "The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us."  

Atheism is really a failure of the imagination, and strict "materialists'" who limit their world view to three dimensions and time are actually the "flatlanders" of humanity.

I stumbled across this great little video clip of Dr. Quantum Visits Flatland.   I think it's not only a fun illustration of dimensionality, but a lovely little parable of faith.  Notice how the little circle is at first frightened by the "revelation" of Dr. Quantum, the 3 dimensional being, then curious, and finally trusting.  She is led to trust by  two dimensional evidence (he can see everything from above) and experience (he can tickle her from above).  Only when she trusts Dr. Quantum is the circle "reborn from above" to see the beauty of her two-dimensional world from a higher perspective.

"Faith is the reality of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).