{"id":28264,"date":"2022-02-23T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=28264"},"modified":"2022-02-22T20:49:01","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T04:49:01","slug":"joy-and-not-sorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/joy-and-not-sorrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Joy and Not Sorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

I cannot help but feel deep sadness as I finish The Map That Changed the World<\/em> by Simon Winchester. Written as a historical review of the geological accomplishments of the late William Smith who, in 1815, created the world\u2019s first geological map. This map \u201cheralded the beginnings of a whole new science\u2026. [and] laid the groundwork for the making of great fortunes \u2013 in oil, in iron, in coal, and in other countries in diamonds, tin, platinum, and silver \u2026 by explorers who used such maps.\u201d[1]<\/a> Smith\u2019s accomplishment truly transformed the way of science, leading to several significant developments that eventually led to the discoveries of Charles Darwin and new ways for humans to understand and engage the world.[2]<\/a> Yet, despite his great advancement, Smith\u2019s grave is said to be \u201ctopped by a massive block of sandstone, now so corroded that if there was any inscription, it is quite illegible.\u201d[3]<\/a> A nearly forgotten name.<\/p>\n

Perhaps I should celebrate Smith’s great victory in creating the map that changed the world, but sorrow is what I feel. Unsettled by his accomplishments, Smith was driven to pursue even more extraordinary feats, but these hopes never came to pass. Instead, \u201che was becoming out-of-date\u2026 [and] becoming a dinosaur himself in all but name.\u201d[4]<\/a> Looked over and significantly undervalued, just as soon as fame had come, so did it dissipate. Smith\u2019s contribution to the world had been offered, and soon his own life would be snuffed out. It was not until 1865 that Smith was finally granted the credit due to his name, long after his death.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure what I think about this real-life plot. Perhaps this is the lot for the heroes of our times, the leaders that emerge in times of crisis. Campbell describes the hero as<\/p>\n

the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human forms. Such a one\u2019s visions, ideas, and inspirations come pristine from the primary springs of human life and thought. Hence they are eloquent, not of the present, disintegrating society and psyche, but of the unquenched source through which society is reborn.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help but wonder: how much more could these heroes have accomplished had their lives not been cut short? Winchester\u2019s narrative touches a nerve in my soul regarding my place of leadership. Deep sadness and lament in part because of the story of William Smith and his tragic end, but also as I consider my contribution to the organization I now lead. Has my \u201cmap\u201d already been created? Has my best contribution been given? Is it time for me to stand aside for the next leader to offer their most significant contribution to the work of CLDI? I pray that I may become a self-differentiated leader by His good grace, not seeking my own fame and accomplishments, but His. For it is in this path of seeking the Kingdom that joy, and not sorrow, may be found.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Simon Winchester, The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology<\/em>, 1st ed. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2001), xviii.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid., 7\u20138.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid., 300.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 293.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>, 3rd ed., Bollingen series XVII (Novato, Calif: New World Library, 2008), 14.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I cannot help but feel deep sadness as I finish The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester. Written as a historical review of the geological accomplishments of the late William Smith who, in 1815, created the world\u2019s first geological map. This map \u201cheralded the beginnings of a whole new science\u2026. [and] laid the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1722,2222,2221],"class_list":["post-28264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-simon-walker","tag-the-map-that-changed-the-world","tag-winchester","cohort-lgp11"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28265,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28264\/revisions\/28265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}