DE PONDERINGS by Kevin Kessler

Jo Young Switzer, president of Manchester University, produces Notes from the President, a monthly communication that I thoroughly enjoy reading. President Switzer begins the March 2013 issue with some thoughts on blame. She iterates that we live in an era of blaming, noting a variety of instances of blame very familiar to us, e.g., Democrats blaming Republicans and vice versa, states blaming teacher for student learning levels and teachers blaming states for decreased education funding, and so on.

Blaming is an age-old phenomenon. In Genesis chapter 3, Adam blames Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit to eat. Eve blames the serpent for enticing her to eat the forbidden fruit. When we fail to accept responsibility for our own actions we can easily blame someone else. Blaming transfers guilt to the other, hoping with all hope that blame will absolve any personal wrongdoing or inadequacy.

Blaming plagues the church as well. Progressives blame conservatives and conservatives blame progressives for membership decline and inadequate focus on mission, along with a long list of other issues and concerns. I wonder what the tenor in Church, the Church of the Brethren included, would be if we focused less on blaming (what we don’t want) and more on what we want?

This question presented itself to me after I watched a short video clip entitled Seeing Red Cars from Star Thrower Distribution, Inc. Presenter Laura Goodrich makes this statement in the video: “We get more of whatever we focus on.” She points out that when employees or employers are asked what they want, the oft-given response is about what they don’t want. Goodrich contends that focusing on what is wanted rather than what is not wanted will result in greater levels of productivity, accomplishment, and success.

We, the church, spend an astonishing amount of time (focus) on what is wrong and how we can fix it. This approach for building up the body lacks effectiveness because, if Laura Goodrich is correct, we continue to get more of what we are focused on. Therefore, my hope is that the church will shift and focus on its strengths and opportunities for ministry. Strengths and opportunities abound. Let’s name them. Let’s focus on them. Let’s be surprised by the outcomes as a result in a shift of focus. And instead of blaming, we’ll be claiming together the blessings of God within, around, and beyond us.