A Call to Deviation
It has been said, history has a way of repeating itself. Who would ever imagine that a book published three hundred years ago could still find relevance today? Oh, I forgot-we are in Seminary….. Let me clear this up, what book other than the Bible??….. An argument can be made that books having long term historical relevance are not as common as one would think compare them to the total number of books published throughout time. In fact, Dr. Jason dropped a major bomb last year to us during our Oxford intensive reminding us all that thousands of leadership books are published annually so what would make an author’s book so different?
Sun Tzu’s, The Art of War is different. It weaves an ancient military philosophy into our modern day thinking. Leadership, conflict, and strategy are some of the major themes Tzu unpacks, but what makes his timeless writing so profound is the fact that if you were to look solely at it from a militaristic lens you will become blind to the golden insights towards life and leadership. Under the backdrop of Chinese militarism there are some huge takeaways for our modern-day American culture.
It is hard to escape the anticipatory feelings toward this fast-approaching Presidential election. Unless you are living under a rock, there is a political frenzy overtaking our country. Every day, the bombardment of ads, texts, television, media, and social media is filled with conversation, debate, analysis, and opinion. It is hard to dodge the overwhelming political funneling that is flowing into America’s veins. How can one not be overtaken nor succumb to the present climate and culture? Tzu offers a timeless treasure to lay hold of, in his unpacking of a strategy called maneuvering.[1]
We are not fit to lead an army on the march, unless we are familiar with the face of the country. It’s mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.[2] This week I was honored to be a part of a panel discussion entitled, “Pastoral Leadership- Politics and The Pew”. The heartbeat of the workshop centered on how pastors lead congregations during some of the most politically and socially polarizing times in recent history. As this demographically diverse group shed their methods, all of the panelists agreed the election is front and center for the majority of congregants, but publicly acknowledging and addressing the political tightrope, many said they chose to ignore it.
Reflecting on Tzu’s writing, I continuously ruminated over one of his strategies, deviation. Deviation is a form of tactical maneuvering. This is no easy feat at Tzu suggests, the difficulty of tactical maneuvering is turning the devious into the direct and misfortune into gain.[3] One of the church’s greatest assets as an institution is how it is postured as a deviation.
On the macro, we must constantly contend and attempt to conquer all the world throws at us. War, rumors of war, earthquakes, climate change, quality of life, the economy, sexism, racism, classism, poverty, inequality, the list goes on. On the micro we also are navigating in our personal space, relational issues, raising the children, overcoming health challenges, family dysfunction, career pressure, mental health, grief and loss, and balancing responsibilities—Feel free to add your plight to the list.
Wrestling with all the above can be emotionally, physically, and psychologically taxing, but from my vantage point- the church is strategically placed in the world as a deviation. Here, it is a sanctuary and refuge for the weary, the worn, and the wondering. Here is the respite and the repository for spiritual well-being. In the busyness of life, the doors are open for deviation. An opportunity to gain a Christ and Kingdom-centered perspective amidst a sin-sick world. As Tzu reminds readers, we are familiar with the face of the country, but the church in its deviation, can make the world familiar with the face of God. I am reminded of a song we sang as children in church; we are soldiers in the Christian army. What would be the outcome if the troops led the world into deviation?
As Tzu lays out the steps to the Art of War, he states five constant factors for deliberation. The Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, The Commander, Method, and Discipline.[4] It was interesting to read his views on the spiritual and natural as necessary steps in defeating the enemy. Considered by many to be a practitioner, I enjoyed his take on the strategies, although I found myself going over them in my head a few times to get the full meaning. I can see how some things may apply to today’s context, but I can see a lot of people today writing his strategies off with irrelevance as their argument. However, if one seeks to be practical, tactical, and victorious, I would advocate that a book published 300 years ago could offer some answers.
[1] Tzu, Sun, The Art of War, (Laguna Hills: Quarto Publishing Group USA, 2017), 37
[2] Tzu, 37.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Tzu, 5.
About the Author
Daren Jaime
13 responses to “A Call to Deviation”
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Hi Daren, In a world that is so full of urgency and division, I like your call for the church to be a place of sanctuary and refuge for the weary. What practical ways do you see that happening in your congregation. Thanks for bringing this book to our attention. Peace.
Daren,
I had a similar question. In my world, I am interacting with churches that are embroiled in scandal (several in the DFW area) and many others who have metaphorically replaced the cross at the front of the sanctuary with an AK47. I find that many churches today (but certainly not all) fuel the divide and misinformation and they are doing so in the name of Jesus.
How do we help our neighbors acknowledge the divisive circumstances and follow Jesus rather than the idolatry of today?
Hi Jennifer. I think we have lost a focus on priority. Steven Covey writes keep the main thing the main thing. Our priority should be sharing the love of Christ, with the message of salvation, repentance and loving our neighbor. Sadly we are prone to look at ways to disqualify people rather than to unite in spite of our differences.
We have been guilty of exalting the pulpit and not ministering to the pew. Promoting love, unity, and fellowship can no longer be a past-tense practice. This, in my humble opinion, would be a healthy start.
Hi Diane. Thank you for asking. We have adopted a mission statement of being a place of healing, hope, help and resources to all who enter into our doors. This statement is our challenge to bring deviation to our community. If people can feel better and empowered and loved by the time they leave, I think our ministry would be fulfilling our mission.
Daren, what did you find from Sun Tzu that will impact your leadership as a pastor most?
Daren, thanks for this introduction to “The Art of War.”
In your own context, which of Tzu’s strategies do you find either most intriguing and you’d like to do more of it, or most “off-base” and you want to steer clear of it?
Hi Debbie, Deviation and Maneuvering spoke to my heart the most. As a strategist, Tzu emphasized this point as a key element of victory. Leaders who cannot maneuver are heading to a dead end. He also emphasized timing. As a pastor, I learned that every God-inspired idea may not be a good idea because of timing. Learning how to take the pulse of congregational momentum and knowing when to pump the brakes is crucial for success in the life of a ministry.
Great post Pastor! Thank you so much and I love this concept of ‘deviation’ that we can cultivate in our faith communities during this season ahead of us.
What are some practical ways this deviation can be practiced, in your opinion, in our worship gatherings and throughout the life of the Church?
Hey Ryan! Thank You! Creating fellowship opportunities allows for interaction, fellowship, and relationship building. Too often, we are talked at, and the church does not create sufficient space for us to talk to each other.
Small group sessions that would center on how Jesus would respond to life’s issues from an unbiased perspective could be extremely helpful. Being intentional about random acts of love and the creating ways for congegational inclusion could also be great as it fosters a community of belonging.
Hi Daren – great book choice. I did the same!
Regarding the quote, “We are not fit to lead an army on the march, unless we are familiar with the face of the country”: how do you keep your finger on the pulse as a pastor? I am always impressed with spiritual leaders who are ‘experts’ in spiritual matters but also have a great sense of where their people are, the pressures they face, and the sway of culture.
Hi Christy. I am gig on congregational awareness. The shepherd must know the sheep and even those in lay leadership should have a sense of the pulse in knowing how to engage the people. this could be a call to prayer, fasting, lament and the like.
I not only try to focus on the members of the church, but stay up to breast and involved in the issues of the community. This allows me as a leader to be both relevant and relational and the people (many-lol) grow to have have an appreciation of it.
Hi Daren,
Thank you for your post. I referenced the book, “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu in my NPO paper last year. It took me forever to finish reading it. Considering the bombardment of political media and the overwhelming nature of election-related content, in your opinion, how might Sun Tzu’s strategies help leaders maintain clarity and focus?
Hi Shela, Tzu offers multiple strategies, which leads to the takeaway that a leader can not be one-dimensional. This will help bring clarity, as an awareness of congregation and community leads to better outcomes.
Also, the messaging of Christ and the Cross and our commitment to be rooted in demonstration by living and embodying this will demonstrate a Christ-Kingdom focus that many churches are authentically lacking. We are in the midst of frenzied and turbulent times, but people and ministries who are steadfast in showing love, grace, and community will bring clarity amidst a cloudy climate.