I’ve enjoyed a nice little blog-cation since hitting #500 last week, but mostly I’ve been sick in 2010 and am hoping the rest of the year isn’t like this. I hope you’re enjoying the new year and came across a quote that I thought was a good one to start 2010 off with. It also represents something I always want to keep in mind as a learner and leader.Jewish educator Abrham J. Heschel said,
“Thinking without roots will bear flowers but no fruits.”*
I’m still reflecting on this short statement because there’s a lot packed in there. I’m under the impression that much of what this speaks to is the need to ground thought life, learning, and leading in a solid and deep foundation. I’m still thinking about the nature of the foundation that leads to fruit and transformative thought.There’s a lot of thinking, especially in the online world, that tends to be reactive or trendy. In fact, there’s a lot of people who make names for themselves based on criticizing the status quo or noting all of what is going wrong out there. There’s a lot of stuff out there that sounds good (flowers), but lacks the power and ethos for long-term positive impact (fruit). I clearly don’t mind people challenging the status quo, but it is usually apparent whether their thoughts come from deep roots or whether it’s more showy and trendy, which is not the kind of foundation that leads to fruit and not just flowers.
The bad thing about the blog world is that there’s a lot of flower thinking, but the good thing about it is that there is much more access to some good fruit-oriented thinking that reflects depth as well as sound and reflective thought that is anchored in a story much bigger than any one person’s own personal agenda.
What do you think needs to be true of the “roots” of one’s thinking to produce fruit and not just flowers?*found in I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology, Abraham Joshua Heschel (1995) edited by Samuel H. Dresner, pg. 83; quoted in Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective by Robert W. Pazmino on pg. 15.
