“It’s Over, I have the high ground…”
“It’s over Anakin, I have the high ground!”[1] My brothers and I throw this quote around from time to time to make fun of everyone’s least favorite Star Wars trilogy. It’s a funny exchange (supposedly very serious) between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin as they engage in a lightsaber duel that ends with Anakin jumping up to where Obi-Wan is only to get sliced in half. While I reflect on it as a silly scene from a silly trilogy, I recognize that the advantage of the high ground is very real. As I read Winchester’s The Map That Changed the World and Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography, I was reminded of the very real advantages that understanding geography, terrain, and positioning can give from scale one-on-one lightsaber duels to large scale geopolitics.
The Map that Changed the World
Winchester’s book details William Smith’s creation of a stratigraphical map, or a map that mapped out the rock layers and identified their geological age using relative dating. [2] One of the most important aspects of this map that Smith created was that it could essentially identify where coal could be found.[3] Since coal was (and still is) an important resource, I can only imagine how impactful a map like this could be. Whoever had access to the knowledge that the map provided would be extremely wealthy and would likely wield a hefty amount of influence. Oddly, it seems that Smith’s work was not immediately recognized because Smith wasn’t well off. “The theory of geology is in the possession of one class of men, the practice in another”[4] . One of the most important technological advancements was almost disregarded because of the social status of the scientist. While I would like to think that times have changed, I wonder if to some degree, we still value societal standing in a way that obscures truly wonderful discoveries and talents. Even in church settings, I wonder how requiring a certain set of degrees might filter out a set of potential pastors who have rich lived experiences.
Prisoners of Geography
Tim Marshall’s book take a geographical approach to explaining the geopolitical landscape, both past and present. His main thesis is that the location of the country along with its accompanying terrain plays a large role in its economic welfare and political stability. Perhaps one of the most relevant examples comes early on in the book when he describes the North European Plain as an important defensive area for Russia to deter Western European advances.[5] In all, the book gives helpful insight into what shapes the relative might of countries and the factors that might lead to war and alliances.
Questions I Asked Myself While Reading
I wonder, even if it is on a smaller scale, how churches and pastors might think strategically about their location. How can we “map” out the areas and communities that exist in? How can we increase our understanding of them to inform the decisions we make and the things we say? Moreover, how can we continue to learn by elevating voices, experiences, and ideas that have been traditionally silenced?
[1] Revenge of the Sith, directed by George Lucas, (20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd., 2013).
[2] Simon Winchester, The Map That Changed the World: the Tale of William Smith and the Birth of a Science (London: Viking, 2001), 6.
[3] Ibid, 48
[4] Ibid, 228
[5] Tim Marshall, Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Explain Everything About the World (New York: Scribner, 2016), 39.
About the Author
Caleb Lu
9 responses to ““It’s Over, I have the high ground…””
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Hey Caleb, great post, as usual. I know, I am an outlier. I am one of the few who enjoyed watching all three trilogies. I just enjoy watching science fiction. But I digress. I appreciate your tie in to how pastors think about their locations. Where we minister impacts how we minister. I had a class with Dr. Leonard Sweet in grad school and I remember him telling us to “know your zip code.” What works for ministry in the suburbs of Los Angelos is not the same thing that will work for a community in the Bible Belt of America or for a community in Cape Town, South Africa. That concept has stuck with me and impacted the way I view ministry. Both the class with Dr. Sweet and the concept of knowing your zip code impacted my choice to come to George Fox. In what ways does knowing your own culture impact how you minister? How does reading these books impact your approach to your NPO?
I love that statement “Know your zipcode.” This is, in my opinion, a prophetic, counter culture approach to American church ministry. Due to white-flight to the suburbs, and churches utilizing business strategies for growth (church growth movement), we now have churches (and I am guilty of this) that focus on knowing the in-crowd of commuter Christians from various zipcodes without really knowing one geography/zipcode in which one ministers. Thank you Caleb for you post, and thank you Becca for this comment!
Becca, you’re not alone. I don’t like to admit this in public spaces, but I too enjoyed all the Star Wars movies. There’s just something about seeing that world come to life that excites me.
Knowing the influences that culture has had on my thoughts, beliefs, and practices has been helpful. As I am invited to guest preach at many of the Chinese heritage churches here in the Portland metro area, I found that it helps me to meet people where they are, show that I understand what they feel and what they’ve experienced. I think it’s only from that place that I can help to then also move them forward.
I’m not entirely sure how it impacts how I think about my NPO, and I appreciate the question! I’ll have to spend some time reflecting a little more.
Ah, yes – you brought up the high ground! I was immediately jealous of your introduction. Well played.
I recently worked for a mainline mega-church (we have a few) and the pastor, often, remarked that his greatest leadership decision was to move the church to its current location on one of the busiest intersections in the suburb. At the time, it was a field with open land around, except, people were projecting growth for the area and it happened. The church moved and the community grew around it. Location (and good ministry that followed) resulted in a large church. He went on to tell me that there is a size limit to churches and that is the population where the church resides. There are many other sociological factors that impacted the size of the church, yet it needed thousands of people to drive by each day.
That makes me wonder, who has the high ground: Walgreens or CVS?
That’s a amazing! I admit I don’t necessarily have a very future facing prophetic gifting. I admire people who can look ahead and envision God moving and working in a way that can’t yet be seen.
Also CVS.
Caleb, Thanks for this thought-provoking post and the questions you asked as your wrote. I was struck by this sentence: “While I would like to think that times have changed, I wonder if to some degree, we still value societal standing in a way that obscures truly wonderful discoveries and talents.” Then, at the end of your post, I was very interested in your closing questions! Can you share a little bit about some of the answers you’ve been pondering in response to these questions? Thanks, Caleb!
Jenny, thanks for the encouraging words! I have found this program to be pretty helpful at least in how to approach answering these questions. Part of it is using some of these research and design processes to invite people from the community in as stakeholders just to give them a dedicated time and space to share. I think I (and maybe churches and church leaders in general) can get stuck in the operational mindset that I think I know what’s best and have people come and follow. I’ve experienced pastors who characterize those who don’t follow their vision or plan as unbiblical. This is probably a longwinded way of saying that I think the humility to make space for others to speak and share their experiences is where I’ve landed on starting.
Caleb,
I loved how you began with your Star Wars quote – you had me from the start! Your questions at the end are valid for church leaders today. They should be asked of everyone in those positions.
Could you be more cool!? Star Wars for the WIN!
Do you think that there is a way that churches, pastors, and other religious leaders can use traditional and modern methods of mapping to gain a better understanding of the communities and cultures that exist within their own spaces?