Creators, inventors, designers and builders are often recognized as a bit peculiar or offbeat, even finicky or quirky. They have unusual and pioneering visions and dreams, most of which are the culmination of great effort and time. And many, many revisions, alterations and failures.
These men and women have definite ideas where their ventures will go. How they will grow. The path they will take. They understand the blood, sweat and tears, the pride and the passion it takes to make the dreams come true.
And they may often have opinions — strong opinions — how their inventions and creations are used by others.
To that end, have you ever wondered…
- What if George Washington or Benjamin Franklin or Patrick Henry suddenly showed up in Washington D.C. What would they think of Congress, politics and the general way of life of Americans?
- Or what about Martin Luther King? How would he view the civil rights movement of today? Would he approve? Would he see advances or would he see his efforts gone awry?
- How would MacArthur and Patton view America’s military today? Those gaudy generals had only one thing in mind as leaders…winning! At any price, and at all costs! What would they think of today’s approaches in Afghanistan or Iraq or Syria or other parts of the world?
- Would Orville and Wilbur Wright be proud? Would Thomas Salk have cured cancer by now? What would Henry Ford think about today’s $50,000 cars and trucks? Would he recognize them? Or would he scoff and scowl at the emissions and onerous systems in those vehicles today? Would Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley approve of today’s much more shallow music styles and genre?
- Oh, and how would the news greats of even a few decades ago view today’s 24-hour news channels? Cronkite, Murrow, Reasoner, Chancellor, Brinkley et al? My guess is that all of them would be outraged and distressed. Undoubtedly, they would likely join the rest of us yelling at their televisions at times!
- Taking it a little further, what would Moses or Paul or Ruth or David or John the Baptist think of the world today? Methinks they would be floored. Or perhaps they wouldn’t be surprised at all. In fact, Paul might say “Yep, I could see this coming a couple thousand years ago!
To be sure, that’s why there is typically an owner’s manual with every new invention, contraption, service or process. It’s a guide for the unenlightened to these creator’s new toys. There’s a Constitution for the United States, there are war colleges and Rules of War that teach techniques and strategies to America’s future generals. Flight and engineering manuals, most of which are time-tested and proven.
Ever wondered what God must think of the world today? After all, He created a perfect garden with perfect trees, gorgeous bushes, splendid fruit. Think about it, there wasn’t one bad apple in the garden.
Now, what must He think? “What a mess, this isn’t what I planned at all!”
What is possibly more perplexing to Him is that He also provided a critical all-encompassing Owner’s Manual and an exhaustive history, not to mention experiential testimonials of what to do and what not to do.
As I mentioned at the top, creators are specific and even persnickety about their blueprints and their creations. The Creators’ creator is no different.
Unfortunately, too often our view of His blueprint and His Owner’s Manual is colored by a world view or relativity. Many believe the Bible must conform to the ever-changing world (that’s relativity), but that’s completely backwards. In the truest sense, the world must — and will ultimately — conform to the original blueprint and Owner’s Manual.
The big question is: Will you follow the manual and conform? Or will you take snippets from this book, excerpts from this chapter and create a new owner’s manual.
Today’s challenge: Pick a book from the New Testament. Read it. Without the colored glasses or blinders provided by your upbringing, your surroundings or others.
It could be life-changing.