A person I admire used to say that the devil was in the details. It was an admission that we have a lot of great ideas... and they are often good, sound good, look good, even smell good on occassion but when it comes to implementing them - it's the details that kill you. The nitty, gritty, small intricate things that need to be completed (often in duplicate) to get the specifics sorted in order to get back to the big picture... and if you don't watch it you can become engulfed by details and forget what you started for...
I remember reading Terrify No More by Gary Haughan (the founder of the International Justice Mission) who suggested the hardest thing about social justice is getting started... I've a hunch it's because the work can be so detail specific that to even get to the bottom of injustice is complex let alone getting out of it and on to fighting it... and then defeating it.
I wonder if Gideon had trouble equipping the whole Israelite army with lanterns (and enough oil) and the smash and shout at the same time... did he spread the word via memos, small groups or a mass email?!
That said - the journey can also be sweet... even in the detail, if you pause enough to smell, you can catch a wiff of justice and it can carry you to the next stage. I'm committed to the long haul. I don't care how many letters, emails, posters and meetings I have to do to make a difference. I'm determined it will matter in the end. I'm praying I'll keep the big picture ever before me... gotta get a world map to put up somewhere I look everyday. The world for God. Bring it.
1 comment:
There's a great world map in those airline catalogues right now. You'd need a step ladder to reach the North Pole and a well stretched back to stoop to the other one.
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