Monday, April 25, 2011

not mine.

I'll write soon, but for now, here is this poem by Jessica Goodfellow that I'm currently reading and re-reading about five times a day.



The Invention of Fractions 

God himself made the whole numbers: everything else
is the work of man.

                                                 —Leopold Kronnecker 

God created the whole numbers:
the first born, the seventh seal, 
Ten Commandments etched in stone,
the Twelve Tribes of Israel — 
Ten we've already lost — 
forty days and forty nights,
Saul's ten thousand and David's ten thousand.
'Be of one heart and one mind' — 
the whole numbers, the counting numbers.

It took humankind to need less than this;
to invent fractions, percentages, decimals.
Only humankind could need the concepts
of splintering and dividing,
of things lost or broken,
of settling for the part instead of the whole.

Only humankind could find the whole numbers,
infinite as they are, to be wanting;
though given a limitless supply,
we still had no way
to measure what we keep
in our many-chambered hearts.

10 comments:

  1. may the chambers of our hearts be broken. we were designed to have a whole, healthy heart committed in its entirety to Christ. as our hearts are being mended from the division of its chambers, i'm slowly seeing God overflow the restoration of wholeness where our brokenness has created fractions in our lives.

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  2. As I read this, I was struck by how amazing it is that God made you with a wonderful, creative mind that perceives beauty and wisdom through writing. This poem is incredible, but I'm more in awe of how God created each of us differently so that we could function and learn and grow as one body. Do you know what I'm saying? Anyway, I love you. This is great, thank you for sharing. Shakerado.

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  3. snaps :)
    Thank you for sharing hunnybuns. I love you.

    The poem&both comments are inspiring and thought/heart provoking.

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  4. ahhhhh. so good. I love that you think through creativity. for the days that I do not, I can read your blog and remember that I am locking up my creativity that my creative, Creator God gave me, like you, as His child. thank you for reigniting... : )

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  5. what an interesting and unusual analogy!

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  6. We are broken. God makes us whole. This is inspiring and encouraging! Thank you!

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  7. Love the poem Bayley. And I am praying for you and the college situation that you shared a little about on Saturday. God has a plan and it will be revealed. No matter how frustrating it may currently be...He will make ends meet. One way or another. Just hang in there. You are beautiful, and lovely, and with Christ you will overcome!!!

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  8. This is awesome. I was talking with a friend recently about the absoluteness of God, to realize that there is someone so perfect. We can hardly grasp the holiness of God.

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  9. Oooooh I love this. I always knew math was made up! :) but seriously, this is really thought provoking.

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  10. Such a cool thought! It shows that God is more infinite and all-knowing :)

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