An Engagement in Doing
by Paul T. Jackson
Back around 1995 there was a book, Trends 2015, and in that book, if I remember correctly, the author took us on a historical tour of what happened over billions of years, and made a case for the fact that as we progress things change at an increasingly rapid rate by 10. Each era seems to evolve 10 times faster than the previous era. The Industrial era evolved over a considerable time, but the digital/information age evolved 10 times faster.
It used to take 10 years to get a product to the market. Now it has been taking just 14 months or less. One can publish your own book now, and have new copies made on demand. Most large companies use “just in time” suppliers, and most of us shop on demand, i.e., getting what we need when we need it, rather than storing up for later use.
I’m not sure where my thought on these issues is leading me, but there are two things. (1) A lot of people don’t think about storing up, while some don’t have the where-with-all or space to do so. (2) it seems there is no need to store or save. Like flipping a switch to get light, I can use my credit card and get what I want immediately (whether I need it or not, whether I can afford it or not). In other words, it seems we’ve lost our way in learning to value what we do have, and seem to want more, rather than reflecting on what it is we are engaged in and why we should be engaged in what we are doing.
I’ve probably said this before, we need to be building a better something: a better family, a better community, a better organization, a better society; doing so altruistically. It’s an engagement in doing, not getting, not necessarily buying, thus storing up different treasures.
The Bible reminds us:
I Timothy 6:19 -- Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Matthew 6:19-21 -- Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Have a great treasure hunt this October and remember the Saints on Halloween/All Saints Day.
Go with God.
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