On changing the world

“For it is not ours to succeed, but to be obedient to the highest we know.”

I am often driven by the desire to change the world. Perhaps even empowered by the notion that maybe I could change the world – when I see individuals who have changed the world. This has been the motivation behind a lot of my decisions and vocation till now – the idea that the efforts I make now could some day contribute to a different reality.

It is easy in this line of work to develop somewhat of a god-complex, to see yourself as some sort of superman, wanting to transform a country, to accomplish big things that have not been done before... But then you realise that there is simply so much need in a country like India that it gets completely overwhelming. Even if you devote your whole life to something, you are only making a tiny dent – if even – in the huge wall obstructing change.

Is my sole driving force the belief that things will change? And if so, what happens if, at the end of it all, the world doesn’t get changed? Does it mean that my efforts were all in vain? What if I were to devote my whole life’s work and energy to achieving a certain goal, but found out that I would never get to see any fruit to all my labour? Would I still be willing to do it? What would keep me going?

It is humbling when I put things into perspective, and realize that I cannot change the world. But God can. And He may or may not choose to use me. And even if He does, He may or may not allow me to see the fruits of my labour.

Ultimately the force that drives me must not be the anticipation of results – but simple obedience. I do what I do not out of the expectation of seeing the world transformed, but out of obedience to the One who commands me to love my neighbour as myself.

This means that I do not look for reductionist explanations, for quick and easy solutions so that I can gratify myself with temporary overnight results. It means that I am willing to invest into the long-term future, to accept that the process of change is slow, to be content to do small things with great love, even when no one’s watching, even if there are no big visible results. To be the one who merely plants a seed, and to let another come and reap the harvest – because ultimately it is the same God who is overseeing the entire process.

It’s not up to me. While this is a humbling thought, it is also a deeply reassuring and hopeful thought. The realisation that I am only a tiny piece in this grand and intricate plan masterminded by an omniscient Being, sets me free from the burden of having to figure things out on my own, from the fear of screwing things up, from being overwhelmed by the hugeness of the task, from despair when I don’t see visible change – and instead reminds me that all I need to do is listen, obey, and trust.

This is not my story about what I can do to change this country. It is God’s story about what He has been doing and will continue to do to redeem the world, and He alone is entitled to any of the credit when the story works out. And I already know that in the end the victory is His – whether or not I live to see it in this lifetime.

The Prayer of Oscar Romero

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Amen.