I Wonder What Would Happen To This World...?

A singing, song-writing hero of mine was Harry Chapin. He died in 1981. He once wrote,

"If a man tried to take his time on earth

And prove before he died

What one man's life could be worth...Then I wonder what would happen to this world."

I am generally an optimistic person. I have great hope for the human race. I think that most of us desire to be people of worth...to lead impactful lives...to make a difference...to be relevant. We want it to have mattered that we lived. I do think, however, that we sometimes mis-step along our way to relevance. We have the human tendency to mistake so many things for the relevance we seek. We waste so much energy.

We work hard to be known by the "right people"...to earn their favor...to impress them...to be in their inner circle. We mistake being included for relevance.

Some, in positions of authority and leadership, work hard to surround themselves with "yes people." They spend so much energy developing a following...a group of adherents. They mistake always being told that they are "right", or "brilliant", or "admirable" with relevance. (By the way...it is not leadership either.)

I wince at the stories of people abandoning devoted spouses for "younger models" in an effort to rediscover youth. Youth is not relevance. Neither is attractiveness or allure. Our egos have nothing to do with relevance.

Some spend a great deal of energy learning things...can quote great works of literature...can recall historical facts...can take philosophical stances...can articulate personal and historical theological insights. Nothing wrong with any of that right up to the point that intellectual prowess and cognitive superiority take the place of relevance.

Popularity (which requires a tremendous amount of energy) is not relevance. Achieving success by the world's standards is not relevance. Being "accepted" is not relevance.

So what is?

Perhaps Paul got it right in his letter to the Galatians (5th chapter). If we can spend our energy on living lives that are characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...then we may just have a shot at being relevant. It might just matter that we lived.

We might really want to concentrate on the love and kindness parts.

"If a man tried to take his time on earth

And prove before he died

what one man's life could be worth...

Then I wonder what would happen to this world."