Formulaic approximation relationships. Alpha & Omega. June 2021
Recent changes mean that my wife and I no longer need a car each for work. We used to have a petrol car for my high mileage job and an electric car for economic, environmentally improved convenience. So down to one car meant a hybrid.
Does
1 Petrol + 1 Electric = 1 Hybrid car?
I had been overly critical of hybrids. They are heavier and more costly to run. In self charging form they create their electricity from the petrol engine and any energy transfer, such as petrol to electric, will always involve loss. Conversion is never 100%. A petrol only or diesel only design is therefore more efficient than self-charging in my view.
A PHEV (Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is different. They can get their power from a socket, like an electric only car, but have better range when needed. I buy electricity from a renewable energy provider.
All hybrids can also have regenerative braking so that slowing down puts some energy back in the battery. You can drive barely using brakes at all. It’s not totally lost energy as in petrol only and diesel only cars.
But getting real, no car is environmentally friendly. Some cars offer a little control over where you pollute. Resources to build and the final disposal of the vehicle are yet more complex considerations.
For our new motoring requirements, swapping our Electric and Petrol cars did result in a used PHEV. It is the best approximate equality for our motoring needs right now.
For us:
Electric + Petrol ≈ PHEV Hybrid
Nissan Leaf + SEAT Ibiza ≈ VW GTE
There are not always exact equalities, as in some mathematics formulae, but I like the formulaic approach. I went to church on Sunday and on the side of the building it had a sign something like…
I like this. It’s close to the summary favicon used on this website:
If you don’t like helpful and overly simplistic summaries, how about:
Justification + Regeneration + Sanctification = Salvation
(Read Chapter 2 of Holiness by J.C Ryle for more on this.)
In recent conversation with my father-in-law I reiterated my view that close detailed theological focus can be great, but unless you step back you can miss the meaning of the big picture entirely.
We discussed the Old Testament and the Genesis 22 description of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son. God provided the sacrifice then as he does now for those genuinely ready to be adopted into his family in our new covenant relationship today.
Does
OT + NT = BP
(Old Testament + New Testament = Big Picture)
I think not. A much bigger picture maybe. Our God is too big to be fully comprehended. Nobody can ever fully grasp our Alpha and Omega. God is our first and last, our beginning and end.
“This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)
“He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:5-6)
This is very meaningful and relates to the water themed sermon heard on Sunday.
In conclusion:
OT + NT may not = BP
Together they do get us closer to our Alpha and Omega.
That is the most important relationship of all!