March the 14th is International Pi Day. Before you get all excited about the delights of hot apple pie; or steak, and kidney pie or whatever the vegan alternative may be, it is not that sort of pie - sorry.
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3.14) around the world, yes, I know that it only works in the American date format.
According to www.piday.org and Mr Pike, my old maths teacher, Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for maths enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about maths, and eat pie.
Known since around 250BC Pi has now been calculated to 31 trillion digits, if printed that would be enough to fill this magazine for the next 250 million years or so. Despite the fact you only need the first 30 digits to calculate the size of the observable universe to an accuracy of the width of an atom the search for more digits in Pi continues as mathematicians continue to calculate it with increasing levels of precision.
The effort to keep calculating pi is a great example of the tenacious attitude and focus that some people have in battling towards a goal that others would not see as important or worth the effort. The ability to keep going even when the problem seems insurmountable. For advocates of pi, the challenge is the next few decimal places, for many of us, the challenge can be getting through the day.
The apostle Paul likens living a Christian life to the running of a race keeping our eyes on the prize. James notes through life there will be many trials that will hinder us, distract us, cause us to think about giving up but goes on to say: Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
We all set out in life to live the way we think is right, to do the best for ourselves and our loved ones. Along the way we can all face challenges and have the need to persevere, to show tenacity, to battle on and focus on the prize. When life is like that, it is good to stop and celebrate simply getting through another day, facing another challenge, not giving up. A slice of pie may be the perfect way to celebrate. This month you may want to celebrate ‘Pi day’ but I encourage you to celebrate those days that you make it from dawn to dusk despite the challenges of life.
