You can't change the world
It's impossible to change the world. Too many people live here to have sufficient contact with a critical amount of them to accomplish any change on a world scale. You can, however, change a world--the world of someone who otherwise would not have lived in a world conditioned by your presence, which is hopefully gracious, loving, faithful, and hopeful. Changing that person's world is your priority. Bemoaning one's lack of influence globally only serves to abdicate one's responsibility to the actual neighbour.
I say this more to myself than to others.
I say this more to myself than to others.
posted by Aaron Perry at
12:21 PM
13 Comments:
I like that.
And, somehow, by changing one person's world the world is a different place. You can change the world, in my opinion. :)
I could blow the whole world up. That would probably change things a little. Oh and Crusty guy it is good to know that our ceremoy of blessing children and having their parents commit to raising them in a home where they will be taught to be a follower of Christ in your words "has no grounds in Scripture either formally or materially" I guess we'll stop doing it then. Bad Kirk. Bad bad Kirk.
well said
Good stuff AP... Thought on target...
I'm a little more optimistic about changing the world.
is the world a different place or does it look different to the one? i think the world remains the same, but looks different. interpretation changes, but the world does not. it remains so close to what it was yesterday.
and the world can be changed. it is always changing. every generation changes it. e.g., who thought it would be the Republicans plunging the USA into debt, for example, or that Conservatism could look so different? but you can't change it. no one person can. even the one who did change it emerged from a history and context established by a people.
i actually thought this was a positive spin. a good dose of negative realism usually accomplishes more than positivistic idealism that empties itself in about 5 minutes.
If we are the light of the world, we change it. It doesn't just appear different to us, subjectively, it is objectively lighter and thus changed. I agree with your statement, "It's impossible to change the world", with one caveat. With God, all things are possible, even the impossible.
John
Brother John! How I have missed you...seriously. I even played the role of Magnum P.I. at a church picnic with a tear in my eye because of you.
You are right to call me on the objective/subjective change of the world. The day Jesus rose from the dead, the world was objectively different. It changed not just in appearance, but in functionality. This change, however, has already occurred and cannot happen again. Nothing will stop it. So, when I say one's interpretation of the world is changed, it is changed to see the world rightly; this presupposes a genuinely changed world. I suppose I sound overly negative at times--good reminder from Durkee--but it was only to get my own duff in gear to open the concrete other's eyes to the world, rather than griping that the problem is too large.
I expect there is some equivocation on 'world' in my thought, too. The "world" in oppression, poverty, attitude, system cannot be changed by me. The World as God's creation has already been rescued and awaits its final rescue. I cannot change the "world"--it has been condemned. I can, however, open eyes to the World as creation adn the good news of the creator whose Spirit changes the perspective of "world" to World...but the "world" hasn't change, it has been replaced. I suppose that could sound somewhat Gnostic, except that it is the "world" that is the appearance, whereas the World is the genuine.
hey ap,
beware, cheesy illustration to follow:
two men were walking on a beach upon which there were thousands of dehydrated and destined-to-die starfish. one of the men began picking up starfish and tossing them back into the ocean as they were walking along. the other said, "why even bother? there are so many! it won't matter."
the man tossing the starfish back into the water said, "it matters to this one." and continued to pick them up one at a time....
I know it's chicken-soup-for-the-soul-ish, but that's how I like to think about it.
Jo, I have your back.
actually, jo, i think that's a perfect illustration of what i meant. the world didn't change: starfish would keep washing up on shore; no massive organization happened; no winning of hearts and minds took place to consistently save thousands and thousands of starfish. but the world of one starfish did change.
does this mean that lynn has my back, too??? :D
so, just to clarify, while i agree with what you are saying, i still think that is important to know what is going on the world and to raise a voice when necessary. also to know what to look for in your area and to help...and it doesn't hurt to raise awareness so that other people can know how to help "one by one." i guess that's how i look at it.
(oh and lynn, thanks! you're a pal. however, ap and his opinions have never threatened my dignity, so i'll take a raincheck on the extra support until i should really have need).
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