[Oe List ...] On Pioneers

[Randy Williams]

I ran across this in the appendix of Meg Wheatley’s new book, Who Do We Choose To Be. It’s from a piece by Sir John Glubb on”The Six Ages of a Civilization’s Growth and Collapse.” The 1st age is the Age of Pioneers.

“New pioneers or conquerors are usually poor, hardy, enterprising, and aggressive. They seem to appear from nowhere, surprising the dominant civilization. They possess fearless initiative, energy, and courage. The decaying empire that they overthrow is wealthy but defensive-minded. Pioneers are practical and experimental; action is their solution to every problem. They have strong virtues: optimism, confidence, devotion to duty, a sense of honor, shared purpose, and a strict moral code.”

This gives me a new appreciation for the word. I wonder if HRN might have thought this to be an apt description for today of what he thought to be the “church” dynamic.

Randy