What’s a pragmatic idealist? I’ve been trying to answer that question for way too long now and the reason is because that is how I’ve always defined myself. Breaking it down it seems as so simple. I try to be practical about life and yet at the same time, my goals are lofty and seemingly impossible. Here’s my conclusion.
George Bernard Shaw put it this way, “Some see things that are and say why, I see things that never have been and say why not.” This in essence is how I see the Kingdom of God. It’s far more complex of course, but it’s a place to begin. Life has to be understood in context. Most would agree, but they miss the context, which is that we are spirit beings!
I can’t effectively navigate this human life without understanding how this mostly hidden spirit being is to work with this human species. The trouble is that most Christians never get past the “being saved” starting line. If eternity is locked up, in the bag, and secure, what else does one need to do? What else indeed?
Can you say everything?
I think it’s more than Joel 2:28 or Acts 2:18. It’s more than just old men dreaming dreams. We’ve so dumbed down the Kingdom, watered-down the spiritual life, and put off what we don’t understand that we can barely handle life’s daily trials let alone anything more grandiose.
Stepping out of the boat (the culture we live in) seems more difficult than Peter walking on water. But the boat of our culture is headed towards Niagra Falls. So, being a pragmatic realist, there’s no option but to jump out of the boat and head for shore. The odds seem
better than staying with the status quo until we reach the falls.
0 Responses to “Pragmatic Idealist!”
Leave a Reply