DELIBERATELY DIVERSE | FRANCIS SORROW
“Deliberately Diverse” represents the individual thoughts and opinions of a group of Taylor friends who almost never completely agree about anything but are gratified by the opportunity to stimulate deliberately diverse discussions in our beloved community. Today’s column represents the thoughts and opinions of Francis Sorrow, not the Taylor Press.
In the last few years, our town of Taylor has experienced multiple changes. As we looked at the Central Texas population explosion, it was inevitable that it would impact Taylor at some time. And then, we acquired a multi-billion dollar international corporation.
For the last few years, it seems as though we are dividing into “old Taylor” or “new Taylor,” and the division between the two keeps growing.
Change is always challenging, and the bigger the change, the greater the impact. It is understandable that our growth may disrupt some of our cherished practices.
I think the Bible has some lessons to teach us.
Many people know the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt. Some even know that the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert before entering the Promised Land. Fewer are familiar with the reason.
The Book of Numbers, chapter 13:1-14 describes how Moses sent out 12 spies, a leader from each of the 12 tribes. They were told to scout the land of Canaan to find out what kind of produce was grown and the strength of the inhabitants of the towns.
The scouts returned after 40 days, carrying huge clusters of grapes and large pomegranates. Ten of the spies reported that it was indeed a land of milk and honey, as promised.
However, they said, there were giants in the land and cities were strongly fortified. They stated that there was no way that the Israelites could safely enter the land.
However, Joshua and Caleb said the Israelites could handle all the challenges ahead. This was the time to enter the Promised Land.
The people shouted out that they wanted to go back to Egypt, that Moses had brought them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness.
So they gained a 40-year hiatus in the wilderness.
Only Joshua and Caleb of that generation were allowed to enter Canaan.
I am not implying that our challenges are of biblical proportion. But for those of us who feel that it has examples for our lives, I think there is a clear lesson in these chapters – don’t let fear of the giants make us forget the milk and honey.
Remember that our newcomers bring the current equivalent of huge clusters of grapes to our community, and those with long time roots here know where to find the honey. So let’s stop the division and become one community and legacy in the next article. Questions or comments? Email publisher@ taylorpress.net.
Blessings and peace, Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin
