Finishing my grad degree was a wonderful thing. It has elicited a number of comments from colleagues and friends. The most often and most notable comment has been, "So, do you feel any smarter?" I understand the joke behind the question, however, it got me to thinking. My answer to the question may be surprising. Education has not made me feel smarter, quite the contrary It has opened my eyes to so much I still don't know… so much I still need to learn.
I have heard the oft repeated phrase, Knowledge is Power. I've come to see the correctness of the phrase in some instances. Knowledge is Power if power is what you are looking for. The problem seems however, that both knowledge and power are fleeting. I may have knowledge in a specific setting that gives me power over others. Nevertheless, things change, knowledge today is tomorrows history. I sat at the funeral of a lady yesterday who lived 95 years. The minister said, "she lived from horse and buggy to International Space Station." The knowledge of horse and buggy gives no power today.
It seems to me, having the wisdom to know what you don't know, may be in the end more powerful than knowledge and the power it brings. I think maybe real strength comes more from knowing what you don't know, than knowing what you know. Awkward sentence I know. Let me try it this way. I can bluster with power through a situation I may not know everything about just to get to the end I want. However, I tend to leave a bloody trail. People get hurt, things get blown down and damaged in my wake of power. I get what I want, but to what expense? Rather, if instead of barging in with power, I step back, assess, find my weaknesses, admit my weaknesses. Then either personally strengthen the area, or allow others with appropriate knowledge to come along with me on the journey, I still get the result I want, but I have brought others with me, built bridges, and left construction rather than destruction in my wake.
Writing this blog has been a process over several days. During this process I heard a concept worth noting in this context. My friend Malcolm commented in a meeting I was in about leadership. He said, you can approach leadership as a king or a father. A King uses his subjects to build his kingdom. However, a father uses his kingdom to build his subjects. Wow.
I have been reminded of my teenage and twenty something self several times lately by a teenager and a twenty-one year old in my life. I was so smart back then. Had an opinion and information on everything. I also felt it was important for me to express that knowledge and opinion to everyone. I have chuckled at myself as I have listened to the knowledge of the teenager several times the last few weeks. Frankly I've been annoyed at myself and the twenty-one year old who thinks he knows it all. I guess it boils down to it is cute when they are young, but irritating the older they get. As a forty something I have seen the trails of damage knowledge used for power can create. It is very irritating, no it's downright aggravating to see. This is especially so in the context of ministry.
Unfortunately some concepts of the secular business world have crept into the church, where indeed knowledge is power and the perception of weakness is dangerous. We've developed this idea, that Christians must know it all (especially those of us in ministry). If a Christian doesn't, he should act like he does. Wouldn't it be better if we could just confess our weaknesses to each other, and allow our weaknesses to be made strong by one another. Add to that the freedom from prosecution by others and we've got a great way to live. I guess I should mention, that idea is not original with me. I'm really not even good at it myself. It may even seem a quixotic notion. Maybe it's not possible this side of Heaven. Sure sounds nice though.
Charis,
Kell
