You will most likely never hear about the people who are doing the most good in the world. They probably don’t have a blog. They’re not on Facebook or Twitter. They’re not writing books. They don’t care about marketing themselves, their organization*, their church or their company. They aren’t looking to box up their system in order for others to do the same things they’re doing.
They are too consumed in their community, their neighborhood, their streets, and the people in their immediate proximity to have time for much else. There is enough good work to be done within 50 feet of any given location in which they stand to worry about the next 50 feet beyond that. They know that others will do that work.
*I am not saying that marketing is negative in and of itself (though it can be). Obviously companies and organizations, especially ones that must make a profit in order to survive, need to do such things.
agreed.
Hey Josh,
Your post reminded me of this other post I just read @ http://richardlfloyd.blogspot.com/2009/11/pt-forsyth-thought-being-true-to.html.
A good line:
The great personalities have not laboured to express or realize themselves, but to do some real service to the world, and service they did not pick and choose but found laid upon them. Their best work was ‘occasional’— i.e. in the way of concrete duty. They did not live for set speeches but for business affairs. They found their personality, their soul, in the work given them to do; given them because of that soul, indeed, but never effected by petting it.
Thank you, it means a lot what you wrote…it really encourages me today….Thank you.
I really liked this.
Matthew
I can’t wait to package and print a small group series / church planting guide entitled “My 50 Feet”. I will give you no credit.
My wonder on this would be: how do we define what our “50 feet” is? Insert conversation about transience/technology/excess of information/etc.