Don’t Predict. Promise.
This morning I listened to an online lecture on church and cultural guru Andy Crouch. He talked about the future of the church and leadership challenges post COVID. I am always skeptical when it comes to future related subjects. Experts on the future are often wrong with their predictions. How many future experts can you name that predicted COVID 19? But Andy said of the cuff, he is not into predictions but directions for leaders that might be helpful as we navigate a post COVID world. So, I decided to give him a change. It was a good decision. I learned a lot. I want in today’s blog, share but one of my new insights…
It happened to be on this very subject of prediction. The uncertainty that the pandemic has brought about, kindled a desire for control and security in most people. People should be disillusioned with and skeptical of any future predictions but many actually expect all the more of leaders and organizations to predict accurately. It makes them feel safe and in control. This would explain why we saw so many people grabbing on to dodgy sources and conspiracy theories. People most knowledgeable about the virus and its implications knew enough to know that predictions wouldn’t be helpful nor accurate. They shared their knowledge but stayed clear of predictions. People felt overwhelmed by this information and did not know what to do with it. So people took to the next best thing…people who were less knowledgeable but fledged together some kind of coherent future prediction. One that enabled them to feel prepared and in control.
Andy rightfully warns that church leaders should resist the pressure to succumb and attempt to predict the future. But he also offers a very helpful alternative. We should not be communities defined by predictions and assumptions but by our promises.
See, we cannot predict accurately what exactly the effects of COVID-19 are going to be and how long it will last. To pretend that we can, would be to deceive people and they will feel betrayed when things play out differently (and they so often do). But we can promise people things like that we will be transparent with them, that we will do our best to shed a biblical light on whatever happens etc.
When two people get married, they do not offer each others a prediction that warms the heart. They offer each other a promise of fidelity. That warms the heart more than any predication can because it is a person committing to staying even when things do not turn out as they hoped and predicted it would. Saying this I wonder how many marriages I officiated were ones where the coupes in front of me fully realized this. I think many people exchange quasi promises that are conditional on a certain expectation and prediction materializing. But that would then be a transaction or business deal, not a covenant. Good business deals might make you wealthy but covenants brings you something way more precious. Peace. Love. Joy.
How could we be a leadership and a fellowship of believers defined by our promises? The beauty of a promise is that it makes you vulnerable. You limit your freedom out of love for the sake of the other and for the sake of relationship. How would your engagement with your faith community look if you revisit and renew your commitments to it? How would your life look if you once more give your promises and commitments centrality over and above anything else? How does one not shy away from commitment but at the same time commit in accordance with your limitations and calling?
The world desperately needs such people and churches that make and keep promises. Whatever happens. What are yours?
Gabriel J Snyman
February 9th 2021