DE PONDERINGS
I’m a generalist. I can do many things but I don’t excel at any of them. Let me put this in vernacular that we all understand: I’m a jack of all trades but master of none.
This makes me a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, especially in our modern day context when specialization seems to be the norm. Do you know what I mean? We don’t just go to a doctor when we have a medical problem. We go to an oncologist, or nephrologist, or gynecologist, or ornycologist, or podiatrist, or ophthalmologist, etc, etc. And even when we visit a general practitioner, chances are they’ll send us to a specialist.
Granted, specialization has its benefits. Seeing a cardiologist is a great choice when facing a problem with the old ticker. But benefits abound with the generalist as well.
One benefit is the opportunity to meet a lot of people in a variety of fields. Take me, a generalist, for instance. I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’ve played softball, basketball, volleyball. I’ve worked for a farm service company, in a bank, and as a pastor. I’ve driven cars and trucks and tractors. I’ve tried my hand at farming, mostly as a hobby. I’ve done some woodworking, have gardened, and traveled. I’ve helped do roofing, dry walling, simple carpentry, and minor electrical work. I’ve even dabbled with poetry and writing. Maybe if I’d focus on one of these area I’d become really proficient at it. But, you know, if I did I’d miss out on the opportunity to visit with and be with people in all of these various areas of life. I’d miss the opportunity to learn from others in all of these various areas. I’d miss out on myriad opportunities for fellowship. I’d miss out on making new acquaintances and gaining new friends. I’d miss out on more opportunities to help others.
I’m okay with being a square peg. I’m okay because I’m of the opinion that I’ll be able to experience much, much more in life as a generalist. Something I read in an article in The Christian Century not to long ago confirmed this for me. The article written by Ralph C. Wood was taking a look at G. K. Chesterton. Wood actually was reviewing four authors who had written about Chesterton. One of those authors wrote about Chesterton’s ideas on humanity enjoying freedom. Wood then makes these statements: Humans squandered their freedom not by perceiving and desiring too much, but by envisioning and creating too little. Finite and fallen imaginations cannot behold the surplus of light that pervades the entirety of created being.”
Freedom is found in being a generalist. Being a generalist allows our minds to envision, to create, to move beyond the finite to “behold the surplus of [pervasive] light.” Being a generalist allows one’s mind to reach out and touch more than can be imagined. Being a generalist allows one to use their mind in a vast array of ways. A generalist is unlimited in what they can imagine, what they can explore, what they can do (even if they may never excel in any of it).
I want to be clear that I value specialization. I’m simply saying that in our world of specialization, it is still okay to be a generalist. Come to think about, as Christians we follow a generalist—Jesus. Jesus was able to talk about a lot of different topics—from farming to finance to food. He met a lot of people influencing their lives in helpful ways. Because he was a generalist, he could meet people on their turf and relate to them in a relevant way. Jesus was a great example of a generalist who made a difference with his life. Can I be as effectively influential? I don’t know, but I’ll keep trying.
This makes me a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, especially in our modern day context when specialization seems to be the norm. Do you know what I mean? We don’t just go to a doctor when we have a medical problem. We go to an oncologist, or nephrologist, or gynecologist, or ornycologist, or podiatrist, or ophthalmologist, etc, etc. And even when we visit a general practitioner, chances are they’ll send us to a specialist.
Granted, specialization has its benefits. Seeing a cardiologist is a great choice when facing a problem with the old ticker. But benefits abound with the generalist as well.
One benefit is the opportunity to meet a lot of people in a variety of fields. Take me, a generalist, for instance. I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’ve played softball, basketball, volleyball. I’ve worked for a farm service company, in a bank, and as a pastor. I’ve driven cars and trucks and tractors. I’ve tried my hand at farming, mostly as a hobby. I’ve done some woodworking, have gardened, and traveled. I’ve helped do roofing, dry walling, simple carpentry, and minor electrical work. I’ve even dabbled with poetry and writing. Maybe if I’d focus on one of these area I’d become really proficient at it. But, you know, if I did I’d miss out on the opportunity to visit with and be with people in all of these various areas of life. I’d miss the opportunity to learn from others in all of these various areas. I’d miss out on myriad opportunities for fellowship. I’d miss out on making new acquaintances and gaining new friends. I’d miss out on more opportunities to help others.
I’m okay with being a square peg. I’m okay because I’m of the opinion that I’ll be able to experience much, much more in life as a generalist. Something I read in an article in The Christian Century not to long ago confirmed this for me. The article written by Ralph C. Wood was taking a look at G. K. Chesterton. Wood actually was reviewing four authors who had written about Chesterton. One of those authors wrote about Chesterton’s ideas on humanity enjoying freedom. Wood then makes these statements: Humans squandered their freedom not by perceiving and desiring too much, but by envisioning and creating too little. Finite and fallen imaginations cannot behold the surplus of light that pervades the entirety of created being.”
Freedom is found in being a generalist. Being a generalist allows our minds to envision, to create, to move beyond the finite to “behold the surplus of [pervasive] light.” Being a generalist allows one’s mind to reach out and touch more than can be imagined. Being a generalist allows one to use their mind in a vast array of ways. A generalist is unlimited in what they can imagine, what they can explore, what they can do (even if they may never excel in any of it).
I want to be clear that I value specialization. I’m simply saying that in our world of specialization, it is still okay to be a generalist. Come to think about, as Christians we follow a generalist—Jesus. Jesus was able to talk about a lot of different topics—from farming to finance to food. He met a lot of people influencing their lives in helpful ways. Because he was a generalist, he could meet people on their turf and relate to them in a relevant way. Jesus was a great example of a generalist who made a difference with his life. Can I be as effectively influential? I don’t know, but I’ll keep trying.
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