Vision

Leaders talk a lot about vision and we should. But I am wondering if we miss a key part of the visioning moment. Vision is much more than just a big picture that we throw out and hope someone grasps and joins us. Jesus did broadcast vision. However, he also made vision very specific to his key leaders. Peter he gave a vision of being a rock, solid, foundational. James and John he named sons of thunder, men of passion. The vision Jesus cast would call for sacrifice and commitment. But it was clearly to be a blessing, a specific blessing that would alter the lives of those committed in a positive way. Vision always has to be digested so that people understand what they are giving their lives for and who they will become along the way.

The Distance Between Reality and Vision

Met with the guys for leadership again Saturday. That is an amazing time. We laugh, care and learn together. it is fueling passion among us and commitment between us. This week we walked through the distance between where people are and the vision. Here's the takeaway. The further people are from the vision, the more distance between the values and the more people have to unlearn before they can learn the more time and nuances the vision will demand.

The disciples had a vision of a warrior King. Therefore, learning that Jesus would be a suffering servant King would take many conversations and moments of picturing the vision for them. No wonder Peter rebuked Jesus! Suffering wasn't a part of the vision he carried even though he was following Jesus.

When our vision is not natural to the culture, to the thinking of the people it will take us as leaders many times of teaching but more than that, it will take debriefing, interpreting events and decisions, and getting the people into moments when they will experience the vision first hand.

Jesus took the disciples on a journey of understanding what the Kingdom of God was like. At times it would wear him out! But he kept teaching, showing, challenging, picturing for them. It takes lots of time and many pictures for people to get the vision. The more the differences between the culture and the values of what is from what the vision will be the more work it will be required. But eventually, a community is born full of vision and passion and the world changes!!!