Bounded or Centered

A friend of mine gave me an article on missions. Good stuff. One thing really stood out to me. The author used some mathematical terms to help explain issues we have with reaching out to people.

A bounded set is a a set of data points that has a distinct boundary, like a fence around a field. It is very clear, if you live in this set, what is permissible and what is not. It is very clear to those outside of the fence too.

A centered set does not have visible boundaries, but has, at its center, the focus. In other words all "dots" center around and "point to" the middle. If you live in a centered set, you are mostly concerned with pointing to what is in the center. Those "outside" of the centered set community do not see a fence, but they do see "dots" looking at something.

So, you get the idea. In the postmodern world, we may be better served to look to Christ and not worry as much about the fence. If we fixate on the "dos" and "don'ts" of our religion, people will stay away from the fence. Not totally. God can leap a wall and can make non-believers climb a fence. I am wondering today though if sometimes it would be healthier for those of us inisde the fence to not get so legalistic that we forget we are all to fix our eyes on Jesus; the Center. Worship Well