Day 16 - Back to basics
Its time for MORE LINEAR ALGEBRA!!! Ok... anyway, another use of a basis (see below if you are lost) is the idea of projection. But I will spare all of you from a mathematical example and give you all something a little easier to understand.
Imagine the foundation foundation of a building. Without a foundation, you cannot build anything on it (Here I am not talking about the strength of the foundation, but just its existence). Only with the foundation in place can you build something (easier to understand than coordinate geometry right?).
A basis is like the foundation of a building, with the basis in place, then can you build up whole coordinate systems and do funky stuff like projections and conical forms etc.
Relating this back to the Gospel; it is of utmost importance that we use the Gospel as the basis of our Christian faith. Not a set of experiences from a camp or a set of verses pulled out of some part of Bible but the Gospel for all its truth. For any other things don't make much of a foundation, and like the foolish man, our lives can be drowned so easily when the floods set in.
But that's not the end. Lay your foundations then start building up pillars to support the rest of the building. These pillars are also important in supporting your life but are useless without good foundation.
What are these pillars? Well, they are captured in our creeds. These are the things which cannot be compromised and they are all build upon the Gospels. For without the Gospel, they are mere words.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in One God
The Father, the Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth
Of all that is, seen and unseen
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
The only Son of God
Eternally begotten of the Father
God from God, Light from Light
True God from true God
Begotten, not made
of one Being with the Father
Throgh Him all things were made
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven
By the power of the Holy Spirit
He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary
and was made man
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried
On the third day he rose again
In accordance with the Holy Scriptures;
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and His Kingdom will have no end
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified
He has spoken through the Prophets
We belive in one holy catholic and apostolic Church
We acknowledge one holy baptism and the forgiveness of sins
We look for the ressurection of the dead
And the life of the world to come. Amen.
PS: For those of you who might be confused, please check the real meaning of the word "catholic" at www.dictionary.com. It is not refering to the Roman Catholic Church.
