Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” -Albert Einstein
The most important truths are the simplest ones. They are the ones that scientists refer to as “elegant.” Elegant truths find the common denominator behind a variety of different effects and express that commonality in a formula or phrase. Simple truths are important because they reveal the unity behind our experience of difference and dissonance. The most important truths cannot be made any simpler.
Einstein’s famous equation of E=MC2 is an elegant example. According to the formula, the universe consists of nothing but energy, and physical reality is congealed energy in a highly condensed state. At an elemental level, there is no difference between ourselves and a pile of uranium ore. We’re made from the same stuff.
Since science doesn’t know what energy is, and can only describe its effects, Einstein’s formula cannot be made any simpler. As the universal common denominator, E identifies the limit of knowledge. It is a simple truth not capable of further reduction. Everything we know is ultimately based in a mystery.
One of the laudable traits of science is that it seeks the simplest answers. Scientists take large amounts of data and boil the information down to its essence, hoping for discoveries, recognition, and rewards. Sir Isaac Newton explained the motion of every object in the universe in the space of three rules and was knighted by Queen Anne.
Religions take the opposite approach. Science began as a reaction against religion and the search for simplicity was one of the ways. Religions become more complicated over time. The 10 commandments promulgated by Moses in the Book of Exodus expands to 613 by the time he finishes Deuteronomy.
Why religions lack this inner regulatory mechanism that seeks simplicity is a complicated question. Early humans told stories to explain their lot in life, and stories are malleable things. They change over time and are not required to be logical. Since all religions began as stories, they also behave like them.
Once religious professionals took over, complexity changed from a natural result to a purposeful strategy. The best type of job security is when people believe your job is crucial, and nobody can do it but you. The first priesthood we know anything about, the Egyptians, made themselves indispensable by creating the world’s most complicated religion. If you wanted to get into Egyptian heaven, a priest’s help was necessary even after you died.
In the biblical tradition, the prophets were the simplifiers and in continual conflict with the priesthood. Amos declared that the land of Israel was no more special to God than the lands of Moab, Edom, and Cush. God was the God of the whole world, not just one nation. He was ordered to leave the country by the high priest.
Jesus was the master simplifier and the culmination of Hebrew prophecy. Complicated question: “What is the definition of a good person?” Simple answer from Jesus: “There is no such thing. Only God is good.” Humans possess positive qualities, but we’re not the embodiment of goodness. We have issues. It’s a simple truth that answers a lot of questions. Jesus preceded Freud by close to two millennia.
Once Jesus left the earth, the religious professionals managed to obscure an uncomplicated message, resulting in contemporary Christianity. What began as a single church in Jerusalem has expanded to more than 45,000 different denominations, each of whom have their own opinions about stuff they regard as important. For the professionals, it’s a way of carving out territory. The teaching by Jesus that no one but God is good provides a useful example.
If no person is good, does that mean babies aren’t good, and that bad babies go to hell? If we exclude babies from being bad, because no one other than St. Augustine wants to condemn a baby, at what age does bad start? How old do you need to be before God holds you responsible? Is it puberty, when the gonads kick into gear? What about the eight-year-old who murdered his father and his father’s best friend? If our brains don’t reach full maturity until age twenty-five, are young adults actually children? Can seniors like myself claim the young adult exemption, since our brains have been going downhill since the age of twenty-five?
The simplicity of what Jesus said is complicated by adding the concepts of judgment and hell, a connection Jesus did not make. He provides an assessment of our conduct as humans, which tends to be tribal and selfish, and reminds us that we’re not God, which is a fairly common delusion. We are social creatures who engage in antisocial behavior, a trait not useful for species survival.
Like the other spiritual masters, Jesus simplified, and that simplicity needs to be recovered from time to time. The basic truths that Jesus taught get lost in complexity, as people answer questions that don’t require an answer, and don’t ask the few that do.
At the same time, keep in mind that a simple truth is rarely an easy truth. As evidenced by Amos and his declaration of a global God, simple truths can be hard to understand or accept. Simplification requires a leap in logic or method, and usually runs counter to common beliefs. Jesus is simple without being simplistic. It’s why Einstein warned against making things too simple. Truth has layers.
Since I am no longer a religious professional, my goal in future essays will be to present the simple truths within the teachings of Jesus. There are fundamental principles that underlie his message. They are what make Christianity distinctive. I’m doing this primarily for myself, since, as I get older, I’m less tolerant of complications.
In Montreal, a prominent landmark on the skyline belongs to St. Joseph’s Oratory, a monumental basilica boasting one of the largest domes in the world. Next door is the original church started by Brother Andre, which holds about twenty people on wooden benches. Brother Andre was a doorkeeper for a local religious order, slept on a cot in a closet near the entrance, and had a gift for healing people through prayer. Crutches and braces of the healed hang on the walls. The essence of Christianity is found in that little church.
Image letter E by Marc Pascual from Pixabay
Image of brain confusion by https://www.pexels.com/@tara-winstead/
Image of angel and demon by Tumisu from Pixabay
Image of leaf by wal_172619 from Pixabay
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