Last week I finished teaching high school for this school year. It was very rewarding to see our seniors graduate. Like so many people, they have been through a lot these last few months and I am proud of their academic accomplishment and perseverance in completing their secondary education. One of their requirements to graduate is completing a Capstone project which we developed as a staff to help our students prepare a productive plan for life and work after high school. Capstone covers practical skills for living independently, getting and maintaining a job, determining a career pathway, job shadowing someone in that field, identifying post-secondary training, and presenting their plan to a panel.
Capstone also spotlights an important truth: the need for dual vision. To operate effectively in life you need vision and execution. You need to be able to see paradigms, trends, themes, and transcendent concepts, as well as, find practical ways to do something with that understanding. For instance with Capstone, students discover the big picture of who they are and what’s available in life. Based on that, they figure out where they want to go and how they are going to get there. We see this dichotomy at work in a diversity of disciplines whether it is expressed via form and function, theory and implementation, design and build, systems and processes, or macro and micro scopes of view.
During this pandemic, you’ve probably experienced a need to operate on these two levels. In a macro sense you’ve needed to understand the cause, global spread, and political, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 virus. At the same time on a micro level you’ve needed to figure out what you will do day-to-day to guard your health and those around you while still carrying out your responsibilities.
So, how does one move between macro and micro views in order to be effective in life? It starts with asking why questions, looking for root causes and catalysts, seeking truth, and desiring justice in balance with mercy. This is particularly challenging when we are surrounded by so much misinformation. But stick with it, because finding out the truth is critical. Once you can see why something is happening, understand what is true, or discern what is right, then you can determine how you should compassionately respond in order to make a positive difference. Herbert Taylor developed a four-question test which is helpful along these lines. Later The Rotary adopted it as a moral code. The test asks: Is it the truth?, Is it fair to all concerned?, Will it build goodwill and better friendships?, Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Likewise, you can determine whether a particular response is good or bad using a four-way method that evaluates motives and actions. Your goal when responding should always be to do the right thing for the right reason. For instance, we could apply this evaluation to various people’s reactions to the tragic death of George Floyd.
- Reaction 1: Violence, rioting, and looting = Wrong motive, wrong action.
- Reaction 2: Stop police brutality by taking revenge on any or all police = Right motive, wrong action.
- Reaction 3: Boost social media ranking by posting a video of police abusing Floyd during his arrest = Wrong motive, right action.
- Reaction 4: Peaceful protest and urging reform for racial equity and unity = Right motive, right action.
When you see something wrong and you have the opportunity and ability to do something about it, ask God what your response should be and then carry it out with his power and love. What stops most of us from doing so is the time, energy, cost, or fear of how it will impact us. But the more important question to ask is how will our inaction affect the person in need or the situation at hand? In his last speech before being assassinated, Martin Luther King exhorted the people of Memphis to come to the aid of black sanitation workers who were being oppressed. He drew on the fact that Jesus taught such selfless sacrifice in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The Levite in Jesus’ story refused to help a man stripped, beaten, and left half dead by robbers because of how getting involved would affect himself. In contrast, out of compassion the Samaritan laid personal concerns aside and was compelled to bandage the victim’s wounds, take him to an inn, and pay for his recovery expenses.
Loving those around us, discerning what’s right and true, administering justice, and extending mercy requires dual vision. It is easier said than done. Your broken, self-centered nature, finite understanding, and limited resources make it difficult to do well. You really need God’s wisdom, power, and compassion to be effective. Jesus demonstrated all of these splendidly as he operated in both macro and micro realms. He stepped down from heaven and dwelt among us on earth. He was fully God, but also became fully man. He shared with us God’s words and showed us God’s ways making the unknowable, knowable. He gave his life on our behalf so we could be saved and reconciled with God. Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus becomes a child in God’s family inheriting eternal life and citizenship in heaven.
As you follow Jesus you develop his macro and micro vision. You desire God’s will on earth (micro) as it is in heaven (macro) (Matthew 6:9-15). You operate in two realms–this temporary evil age and fallen world, as well as, God’s eternal, righteous kingdom. You are in this world, but not of this world anymore (John 15:19; John 17:14-16; Romans 12:1-2, 1 John 2:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:20). God gave you macro ears to hear and macro eyes to see in order to understand the core problems of human nature and our fallen world as well as their true solution (Matthew 13:10-15). This wisdom and understanding only come from a faithful relationship with God and not ourselves or the world (Proverbs 9:10). You macro seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, trusting he will provide all your micro needs. Instead of living life on your own, you lay it down each day for God to save other people’s lives through you, just like Jesus did. In a macro way you recognize that there are greater forces at work than what you see and on a micro level you let God do something about it through you. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). You realize as Jesus said, that you are sent out like sheep among wolves and you need to be macro shrewd as a snake and as micro innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). You put on God’s armor of truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, and salvation, and take up his word as a sword to stand firm against the devil (Ephesians 6:13-17). Like salt you carry the valuable ability to flavor, heal, and preserve by promoting God’s way of life in our hurt and decaying world (Matthew 5:13). Like light you shine in a depraved society pointing a way out of the darkness (Matt:14-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Proverbs 4:18) . You treat others the way you would want to be treated, not just because Jesus commands everyone to (Matthew 22:36-40), but because you are joyfully convinced that loving God and loving others is the greatest macro purpose and micro mission you could ever pursue.
With God’s help may each of us desire to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. With his dual vision may we faithfully and prayerfully open our eyes to the brokenness of our lives due to sin, the dangers of the devil, and God’s glorious solution to restore all of creation through Jesus. Then daily may we join him where he is at work saving–proclaiming the truth, bringing good out of bad, extending mercy, freeing those in bondage, and helping those in need. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).