It has been said that math is the only true universal language that can be comprehended by all human beings everywhere because it transcends spoken language and culture. Well, if that is true, then perhaps there is much that can be communicated through even rudimentary mathematical symbols. There are many recognizable mathematical symbols and one of the most recognized around the world is the infinity symbol.
The infinity symbol has been around for 2,000 years. In the first century the Romans used it to represent the number 1,000, which was a substantial number to them. Much later in 1650, however, the English mathematician John Wallis proposed that it stand for infinity, and that is the meaning that stuck then and still remains.
The word “infinity” is most popular today. We use it as a brand name for everything from cars to music speakers. We talk about how teachers have “infinite patience,” how kids have “infinite energy” and how the rich have “infinite resources,” but those statements are really inaccurate. The truth is infinity is a word that actually can only apply to God because only God is inherently infinite! That symbol must be exclusively associated with and attached to God alone because nothing else in the universe is infinite like Him.
The Scriptures tell us that God is both eternal and infinite, and these terms describe different aspects of God’s nature. Eternity is more about time while infinity is more about space. So, perhaps we can think of it this way…eternity would be represented by a line that runs east and west while infinity would be represented by two perpendicular lines with the other running north and south.
When we say God is eternal, we are saying that He transcends time, and when we say God is infinite, we are saying that He transcends space. Therefore, God is not only timeless but also endless, boundless or limitless. And, because He is without end, God is not measurable or quantifiable. Therefore, neither science or math can account for Him and must resort to a symbol as an attempt to capture the evasive concept.
For many centuries, our church fathers had a statement that they regularly invoked in discussions of matters like these. Their default assessment of mind blowing ideas was to declare “Deus Semper Maior”, which translated from the Latin means “God is always greater”. In other words, they resorted to declaring that no matter how hard we try to fathom and sum up the nature of God’s immensity, we will forever fall short of comprehension and description and must therefore surrender to profound mystery.
Interestingly, a scientist named Charles Meisner once had this to say about it: “I do see the design of the universe as essentially a religious question. That is, one should have some kind of respect and awe for the whole business. It’s very magnificent and shouldn’t be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion although he strikes me as a basically very religious man. He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt that they were blaspheming. He had seen much more majesty than they had ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing. My guess is that he simply felt that religions he had run across did not have a proper respect for the Author of the universe.”
So, the real question when it comes to God’s immensity is do we really have a proper respect for the majesty of the Author of the Universe? The Scriptures tell us clearly that we worship a God who is larger and more vast than the entire universe and that awesome truth ought to overwhelm and humble us.
In 1 Kings 8:27 we read “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built?” And, in Jeremiah 23:23-24 it says “‘Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the LORD, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.” Further in Eph. 4:10 it says “He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.”
So, if it is indeed true that God fills the entire universe, then how big does that make Him? Consider this simple but amazing fact…You can fit one million earths inside of the sun, and the sun is actually a small star. There are other stars in our galaxy that are 800 times larger than the sun. The next closest star beyond the sun is Alpha Centauri, which is four light years away. That means that if you were to drive your car at 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to Alpha Centauri, it would take you 30 million years to get there! And get this…There are 200 billion stars in our own Galaxy and there are a 100 billion other galaxies!
The fact is that the universe is so big and our God even bigger that we just cannot even comprehend it. We simply cannot get our limited minds around this limitless concept, and that is why so many bright Christians through the centuries who have dared to contemplate this have willingly surrendered their pride.
Augustine, the ancient scholar and theologian, for example, while puzzling over the immensity of God one day when walking along the beach observed a young boy with a bucket running back and forth pouring water into a little hole. Augustine asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “I’m trying to put the ocean into this hole.” And it was then that Augustine suddenly realized that he had been trying to put an infinite God into his finite mind, which was an impossible and futile task.
My response to my own contemplation of this overwhelming concept has been to wonder a couple of things. First, if God is that big, then how small does that make us? And, secondly, if God is that big, then why does He care so much about people who are so small? The honest truth is that God’s immensity makes me feel tiny, but at the same time, God’s immensity also makes me feel secure. Let me explain why.
When I read King David’s words in Psalm 8, I gained an appreciation for what God’s size has to say about my own. David apparently had the same appreciation and asked the same question when he wrote: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens…when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
And God’s answer to David’s profound query? “Yet you have made him a little lower that the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; and you have put all things under his feet.” So, the answer to the question about the relative worth of tiny people like us is that we have value because God gave it to us. He made us valuable when he created us and gave us glory, honor and dominion.
And, why did God do this? I mean, why in the world would God be so generous with us? Well, the answer to that question is born out of His immensity. You see, God cares for us because just as He is infinite in his size, God is also infinite in his character. Meaning, God’s immensity doesn’t just describe his stature but also his character. Because God is infinite, whatever God is, God is infinitely. And, this means that God is also infinitely just, generous, merciful and loving!
Therefore, I have found that God’s immensity, though profound and humbling, has much to say about Him and about us. Though it’s very humbling to be contemplating such things, I have also found a great sense of security in understanding that God’s character is truly as infinite as his size. And, because of this realization, I can honestly say this particular mathematical symbol definitely speaks my language.
