Vision 2

             Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

When Solomon wrote of a vision and people perishing, what was he taking about. Some of the translations and interpretations of this verse suggest that vision refers to a revelation from God. Generally speaking, God’s revelations to man are statements of reality past, present, or future, personal or general, general or specific. It is information that guides and informs our thinking. This information either produces a positive response, or a negative response. In either case, our embracing or rejecting it generates hope in us. We either hope for it to be or hope to avoid it.

So now we’re back to the experiments with the rats in the vats. Those without light died quickly. Those with light, which revealed a possibility of escape even though it was impossible to achieve, the rats swam many times more hours. Where there is no hope, rats and people die more quickly than where there is hope. That’s what Solomon and science tell us. And the clearer and more accessible the vision, the stronger the hope.

But there’s a problem. Organizations and people sort through their values and debate the possibilities. They issue “vision statements” that tell everyone where they want to go – but they often don’t build that vision enough in their own lives or in the lives of their organization. It’s posted on the wall or the fridge, but they become nothing more than words – if they don’t completely fade into the background. Sometimes, we even fear them because they will take more than we’re really ready to give and (to be honest) sometimes it seems that the best way to make sure God doesn’t do something is to tell Him you want Him to. (To which I must say, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” But that doesn’t mean we don’t believe it.)

So we return to what I said yesterday. People have mentioned that my park needs to heal after the last election. They’re right – but are we discussing what a healed park looks like? Have we made any plans about how to accomplish that healing? I suspect we’re hoping that time and the new executive board (over which the park divided in the first place) will magically do it for us. Have we asked God to reveal His vision? Oh, that’s dangerous.

The same is true of my neighborhood in Erie. Does God have a vision for it? Am I willing to pay the price? To spend the time? To involve myself with other people? And what about my church? Does it have a vision? I know there was one written but has the church bought into it? Have I? Is there room for more than one vision? I believe there is, as long as those visions are not actually opposed to one another.

And then there’s the personal level. I’ve set goals, but do I really have a vision – something that will inspire me to work, to stretch, to have hope in my own life?

What would any of these vision statements look like if accomplished? I can tell you that I’m afraid of the fulfillment of most of what could be visions. They ask too much. They demand that I do things I don’t want to do. I’ll be honest – they tend to involve other people. (Horrors!) One of the challenges I’ve identified with building a community (that’s a vision!) in my neighborhood is that we don’t have any place that we can congregate. Have I really looked for one? No.

We complain that we, our communities, our churches, and our world need healing, needs this, that, and the other. Could it be that what we really need is a vision?