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Back to the Basics

November

Fifteen years ago, a business colleague came to me with a concern that he may not be
qualified to perform the duties required by his new position.
He confessed that he was used to dealing with small business loans and this posi-
tion would elevate him to handling huge international loans. I smiled as I offered my
simple explanation regarding his dilemma.
I told him that his job description had not changed; the only difference would be
the number zeros on the application, and the collateral required. This over- simplified
statement seemed to satisfy him and he worked for the bank for many years. Throughout
my lifetime, simplifying a situation help me also in developing a realistic overview. That
is why I continue to go back to the basics of the Bible to obtain stable answers for mod-
ern day questions.
Just the other day, my TV remote control bumped into a lecture from John F.
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University with General John Abizaid, US
Central Command Commander. As he spoke of ‘our last best hope being in our flag’,
‘combating a feeling of hopelessness’, ‘extremism led by groups with a dark vision of the
future’, and ‘hope is not a method’, I could not help but remember the verse in the Book

of John 8:12 (NRSV) “…Jesus spoke to them, saying,“I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” and Psalm 62.5-6
(NRSV) “For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him. He alone is
my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” Abizaid went on to say
that ‘we can walk away from the enemy, but the enemy will not walk away from us’ and
‘we can leave extremists alone to work on mass destruction leading to WWIII.’ Attempt-
ing to simplify and correlate Abizaid’s statements, I wondered on a much smaller scale,
“If we had an evil force disrupting a small Carroll County town, if we left them alone,
would they just go away?” Maybe we have to go back to the Bible for the answer! Peter
Drucker, author of "What Makes an Effective Executive," who was of Jewish descent,
stated, “I always read a little in the Bible — …the Psalms or the Epistles of St. Paul. Just
now I have begun re-reading the Epistles and find them very exciting, and full of insights
earlier readings didn't reveal.” I was uplifted by General John Abizaid’s message, “We
have not failed yet and we will not fail, if we all understand what we have to do. If we
can stay together nothing can stop us, …we can make the world a better place.” I’m for
making the world a better place by all of us staying together and so was Mother Teresa as
she made her over-simplified suggestion on how to change the world. “Go home and
love your family!” she said.