Crystallizing Futures; Being a Faithful People

After accessing that inner spot simultaneously viewing the situation from the outside, one can operate from this place, the Self, to create an emerging future. Scharmer calls this crystallizing: "clarifying vision and intention from our highest future possibility" (192). This intention is captured in community because one needs the reiforcement other people's energy provides--we need momentum. Thus, relationship is the most important "generative feature" in facilitating this kind of atmosphere/context/environment. The responsibility and opportunity of those doing the leading is to be able to envision the future you're working to create and to begin living in it already.

Let me give a case study for this. The small group I get to be part of at our church is planning a Prom Night--for people who have already graduated. We're doing this to practice celebrating even when things are tough for so many people. We entered into our discussion for what this party will look like in a few ways. First, we prayed--thanking God for what he's been doing and then asking God to be active in specific areas of our lives and the lives of those we love. Second, we looked at the story of Jeremiah buying a field when Judah was about to be exiled. Why buy a field? Because homes and land and vineyards will be bought in Judah (Jeremiah 32:14). It was a symbol, but more than a symbol, a practice!, that God would restore Judah and bring them back from the Babylonian captivity. (Amazing how perhaps buying houses today could be a Christian practice in the United States!) With this context established, we launched into planning and brainstorming.

Because the context was set, we were able to live into the celebration before it even arrives. Not only were we planning a party, we were also partying in the planning. Of course, there are things we could do to relate better to one another, but what a great night!

It struck me how this idea of living into the anticipated future is the crux of faith. Faith has two connotations: Loyalty and belief. A faithful friend is one who is loyal. A person of faith is one who believes in something. Living into the anticipated future requires both believing in this future and having a persistent loyalty to this future in the now.