I just read a fascinating article in Fast Company titled "The 3 Ways of Great Leaders." The authors introduce a concept they call "contextual intelligence."
I loved Daniel Goleman's book on emotional intelligence (EQ). For what it's worth, I'd like to do a book on Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and dissect the different dimensions of the image of God. I loved Howard Gardner's research on different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind. Bottom line: I think there are lots of different ways of being smart :)
In their book, In Their Time, authors Anthony Mayo and Nitin Nohria found one common denominator amongst all great leaders regardless of age or industry. "They possessed an acute sensitivity to the social, political, technological, and demographic contexts that came to define their eras." They excelled at "sensing opportunities." Mayo and Nohria call it "contextual intelligence." They studied 1,000 leaders and came to the conclusion that contextual intelligence is "an underappreciated but all-encompassing differentiator between success and failure."
Makes me think of the tribe of Isachaar. Scripture says they "understood the times."
Is "contextual intelligence" another way of saying "be as shrewd as snakes"? Is it another word for "incarnation"?
The church ought to be off the charts on contextual intelligence. We've got the best frame--Scripture. But I'm afraid we barely get a passing grade. Too often we've gotten A's in biblical exegesis and D's in cultural exegesis.
That's not a slam. It's a challenge. We can do better.
I'm not suggesting we conform to culture. I am suggesting we understand it and redeem it and ultimately lead the charge in creating it.
I loved Daniel Goleman's book on emotional intelligence (EQ). For what it's worth, I'd like to do a book on Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and dissect the different dimensions of the image of God. I loved Howard Gardner's research on different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind. Bottom line: I think there are lots of different ways of being smart :)
In their book, In Their Time, authors Anthony Mayo and Nitin Nohria found one common denominator amongst all great leaders regardless of age or industry. "They possessed an acute sensitivity to the social, political, technological, and demographic contexts that came to define their eras." They excelled at "sensing opportunities." Mayo and Nohria call it "contextual intelligence." They studied 1,000 leaders and came to the conclusion that contextual intelligence is "an underappreciated but all-encompassing differentiator between success and failure."
Makes me think of the tribe of Isachaar. Scripture says they "understood the times."
Is "contextual intelligence" another way of saying "be as shrewd as snakes"? Is it another word for "incarnation"?
The church ought to be off the charts on contextual intelligence. We've got the best frame--Scripture. But I'm afraid we barely get a passing grade. Too often we've gotten A's in biblical exegesis and D's in cultural exegesis.
That's not a slam. It's a challenge. We can do better.
I'm not suggesting we conform to culture. I am suggesting we understand it and redeem it and ultimately lead the charge in creating it.
9 Comments:
Hello all,
"I am suggesting we understand it and redeem it and ultimately lead the charge in creating it."
Can you help me understand how "Redeem" is used here and I have read it in other areas of this site also. My understanding of "redeem" is to buy back with a price. Of course the best known example is the price that was paid for our sin by Jesus on the Christ. He bought us back. Now what would be the price to pay in "redeeming" our culture.
Thanks in advance
Redeem, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
1 a : to buy back : REPURCHASE b : to get or win back
2 : to free from what distresses or harms: as a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c : to release from blame or debt : CLEAR d : to free from the consequences of sin
3 : to change for the better : REFORM
4 : REPAIR, RESTORE
I don't know if that helps at all, but I think change for the better, repair, restore, and to win back all apply to redeeming the culture...
What is the price?
I personally think the price is time and energy...
The time and energy it takes to understand instead of just trying to be understood.
When Jesus came to redeem us his first steps were to come to in us in a form we could understand (as a man) and with words we could understand (he spoke the common every-day language).
When he spoke to them he used common examples taken straight from the people and situations of their day.. (He understood their culture.)
Paul did the same thing in Acts 17:16-34.
->He was grieved by their culture - their many idols (v. 16).
->When he spoked to them he spoke to them using their own point of reference - their altar "to an unknown God". (v. 22)
->He later even quotes one of their own poets - someone known in their day - saying "We are his offspring". (v. 28)
The price might be more than just our time and energy as we engage people where they're at, but it at least starts there.
I think a just as important question is: "What is the price if we don't redeem aspects of our culture in an effort to reach people?"
I was going to comment. Then I read yours Scott :) Wow. Couldn't have said it better myself.
To piggy-back off your question: "What is the price if we don't redeem aspects of our culture?"
I think the answer is: it goes you know where. I say that with the utmost reverence and conviction.
One of my prayer mantras is the Lord's prayer: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
We're bringing heaven to earth. Everything we do ought to be a reflection of what heaven will be like. The opposite of that is H E double hockey sticks.
One more thought. I think redemption, at its core, is returning something to it's original purpose: to glorify God. It is using anything and everything in a God-glorifying way. I'll post some more practical ideas, but that is the philosophical roots.
I think the cross is the ultimate example. It was the symbol of death (ancient electric chair). It is now the symbol of everlasting life.
Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem us!
OK now i'm banging my head against the wall here, not getting it. So Believers are to buy back with their understanding, time and energy, WHAT? exactly that was ours previously. Redemption implies somebody has something that is ours or Gods.
Don't bang your head too hard :) We'd have to redeem it :)
As creator, God owns everything a priori. Via the fall of man, Satan was given dominion on this particular planet. There is a very real spiritual war being waged between good and evil. All we have to do is watch the nightly news :) (By the way, I love the book Epic by John Eldrege--a great read on this subject)
Jesus came to buy back every square inch of what he has created. The day will come when He reverses the curse altogether (heaven). In the meantime, we're redeeming people (primarily) but also ideas and culture and creation and everything else.
A few examples.
We bought an old rundown building on Capitol Hill that had graffiti all over it. It was an eyesore. It served no good purpose. A verse in Jeremiah was one of the motivating factors--"restore the walls." We taking the building and turning into a place that will glorify God. We've redeemed it :)
We redeem culture in our God @ the Box Office and God @ the Billboard series. We take movies and music and juxtapose them with Scripture. We redeem some of the ideas and use them to serve God's purposes.
Hope that helps. Or maybe it'll make you feel like banging your head on the wall even more :)
Yep, I see it now, I turned Spongebob on helps me think straight. Patrick inspires me. Thanks for the answers . Blogs are great
Booyah!
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