The eCrozier

Charles Mann’s insightful book, The Wizard and the Prophet, recalls two historical figures that early-on addressed the environmental crisis we’re now facing. These two people, William Vogt and Norman Bourlag, both saw the impending crisis and worked from different perspectives to address it. Vogt was a prophet sounding the alarm of environmental degradation, and like Jeremiah of old, warned us to turn back before it was too late. Bourlag saw the crisis of insufficient agricultural yields, and due to climate change, knew they wouldn’t be enough to feed the growing population of the earth. So, he found a way through technological “wizardry” to dramatically increase yields, thus forestalling what would’ve been massive starvation throughout the world.

In looking at these two historical figures and the movements they led and the work they accomplished, we might reach conclusions based on what we currently prefer as the right way to go. But I hope we won’t jump to such conclusions too quickly. We need both voices and movements if we’re to address faithfully the numerous challenges facing the human family. We need “prophets” who wake us up to the realities we face, even shock us so we move out of our lethargy and take action. And, we also need “wizards” who will see that same reality and then work to discover what specifically needs changing to make a difference for the common good.

This is important not just for the environment, but for the Church as well. In the last generation we’ve had various “prophets” calling us to wake up. Some told us that we needed to abandon core tenets of the Christian faith if we were ever going to connect with modern people. Other “prophets” said we needed to “double down” on “old time religion,” which would lead today’s people back to church. Both prophetic voices have a word for us, but our failure to heed the wisdom coming from each voice has diminished our ability to act faithfully. There’s a similar dynamic among the Church’s “wizards” over the last generation. They’ve called us to change our techniques for evangelism, church growth, and congregational development. They each claim that if we’d just make their preferred changes, then we’d see positive outcomes. Each of these “wizards” have a word for us as well. But like with the “prophets,” many of these “wizards” get locked into their own silos and can’t learn from or appreciate the wisdom in what others, coming from a different point of view, are saying.

If we’re wise, we won’t choose one voice over the other. We’ll recognize the need for the voices and wisdom of the “prophets” and “wizards” as we grope forward in these highly confusing times. As a Church, we haven’t been wholeheartedly open to and generously curious of the voices that don’t readily agree with what we think, so we’ve remained stuck in the false, binary choice of the tired (and tiring) liberal and conservative tribalism. Rather than immediately formulating a rebuttal to a “prophet” or a “wizard” who has a message with which we disagree, might we listen to what they’re saying and take the time needed to test its wisdom? With such an open stance and approach, we’ll also be a role model for all who are living in our harried, confused, and anxious larger culture. That would be a much-needed gift for us to offer.

+Scott