In class today we went over Mark Van Stennwyk’s list of things to do when doing incarnational ministry. One of them was to make sure to spend time just observing and listening to the people in the environment before you start to DO anything. To hear the stories, the joys and laments of the place, to really understand the place before you go and try to change or do anything.
I think that this is SO important and can also be hard to do. We live in a culture that constantly pressures us to produce and to perform. We are constantly on the move and often feel like we have to be doing something in order to prove our worth. In this environment that demands rapid results (some would say this is part of the increasing “McDonaldiztion” of Western culture), it is very countercultural to take the time to truly listen to our environment before we try to “do” anything.
The truth is that jumping feet first into action can lead to ineffective or even damaging actions (as well as possibly coming across to other people as a jerk who thinks they have all the answers while, in reality, having no clue what is really going on). May God help us to fight the urge to jump prematurely into action as we take the time to observe and understand!
B
Well, hey! Thank you for this, it speaks straight into my life. The theme of waiting keeps popping up in my life and I lose sight of the beauty of God’s perfect timing. Your post reminded me to wait on the Lord. Thanks again.
-Emilie