Nothing in this life lasts forever.
Even the mighty fall. Whether it’s a corporation, a political leader or a superstar, there comes a day when they are no longer on the top of the heap.
Do you recall when you first realized this? For me, it was in my teens. That’s when I read Shelley’s little poem about the fate of mighty Ozymandias.*
Later in life I encountered the work of Jim Collins who made a career of exploring the rise of the mighty. He started tracking the life cycles of corporations with his groundbreaking bestseller Built to Last. He investigated why some companies (e.g. Disney or Procter & Gamble) continued at the top of their respective fields decade after decade, while comparable others came and went. Following this was a second bestseller, Good to Great. There he sought to know why some companies (e.g. Gillette or Walgreens) made that leap from “good enough” to true greatness while others did not.
Finally, it seemed only appropriate Collins should turn his searchlight on How the Mighty Fall. The results of that research? Turns out that, like mountain climbing, there are only a few ways to the top. Alternately, there are all sorts of ways to reach the bottom, ways that are painful, bruising and—often—fatal. A "company can indeed look like the picture of health on the outside yet already be in decline, dangerously on the cusp of a huge fall..."
In other words, the seeds of our destruction are usually sown long before the harvest. Are there ways to see that fall coming? Collins and crew found there are some usual stages through which the mighty descend on their way to the bottom. If brought to their attention, knowing these stages might allow them to reverse course before they are too far gone. The first three are particularly instructive:
Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success
Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
In the Old Testament, these three are all present in the nations that surrounded Israel and were constantly conspiring to bring about its downfall. But God sent warnings to those nations. God showed them their hubris, their unbridled appetite, and the risks they were incurring by conspiring against His will.
This week's scriptures, especially Psalm 2, tell of God's sovereignty and the authority He has conferred on His Anointed One (Jesus). God makes it clear, to those nations and to us: He is the authority and He has anointed His chosen. Kings, rulers, judges, and everyone else must recognize both His sovereignty and His anointed.
Collins discovered how corporations can avoid an early decline by bringing wisdom into the equation. Likewise, everyone—both mighty and otherwise—can be wise by recognizing God’s sovereignty over our lives.
A decline in position and power is part and parcel with living this life and, no matter what corporations do, is something every human faces. But how we navigate life, the quality of our experience as we ride it’s ups and downs, rests in our relationship with God.
And that does last forever.
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BONUS MATERIAL
*PHOTO (plus all the words to the Ozymandias poem and a funny take by humorist Ogden Nash):
https://muddlet.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/ozymandias-ogdeniasis/
A very brief piece about the real Ozymandias (Ramses II of Exodus fame):
https://vahshatedil.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/ozymandias-…-two-versions-ii/
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Join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We will meet on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place at 8:00 to chew on and digest some scripture while chowing down on some great food.
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=22
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_TransfigurationSunday.pdf
Exodus 24:12-18
Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9
Transfiguration Sunday (February 19, 2023)
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