Following the harrowing attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, as Israel’s violent military response in Gaza began in earnest, I wrote a For Math’s Sake column describing the difficulties of doing math in dangerous times, and also, the further difficulties math can present in these times. At one point, I said, “There have been massive failures to humanity recently, and as long as the violence continues, the failures will too.”
Tragically, this statement continues to apply today. Brutal violence persists in Gaza, as it does in Ukraine, Sudan, the West Bank, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These places may seem far away, but violent crackdowns or arrests have occurred in these countries too — targeting fellow college students whose views don’t “check out” in the minds of government authorities.
We have seen a different kind of violence as well, through attacks on many longstanding institutions in the United States, including its oldest university, one of its “mainline” churches, and a global news organization founded across the Hudson River. For many, times feel far more dangerous now than they did at the end of 2023.
How do we carry on? As with last week’s column, I am not pretending that mathematics provides me with some indestructible and fool-proof answers. As I wrote, “Mathematical models always have some errors; elegant proof ideas may not hold in every case; axioms can be relaxed to allow a less rigid structure.” This field alone cannot provide the straight path to a perfect or even relatively safer world.
But, I, and others in STEM, can defend mathematical and scientific results when we believe them to be true, while always reasonably questioning underlying assumptions and biases as we strive to further our knowledge. This is what we can and must do with our political beliefs as well—even if we feel scared, we speak what we feel is true.
Moreover, it is vital to stay connected as we traverse through dangerous times. This is different than being united—it’s increasingly challenging, nor should it be desirable, to obtain uniform solidarity on the set of issues currently facing us. But community is how people are saved, and how movements against powerful forces pierce through seemingly impenetrable walls.
This is a meager example, but I spent this past weekend singing the Palm Sunday service with my church choir. For those unfamiliar, it is a whirlwind of a service —beginning with celebration after reading the part of the Gospel where Jesus is crowned King of Kings, it abruptly moves on to Jesus’ betrayal, suffering and death, ending with a silent recession.
The point is, it all happened, and will all happen again. The violence will continue, but the forces of good may still triumph. I go through this experience with my church choir, there are many other experiences we can all point to, from our various religious, cultural, and political backgrounds, where the good guys, or the bad guys, win. Even in the latter, the story is not ever over—our friends, families, and mentors are still there for us, as we are for them. And there is power in that, which we must continue to wield.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
