Found this old reflection I wrote as I was trying to share some grad school files with a friend who graduated from the Organizational Leadership program. Was written probably in late 2011, early 2012, as I was in my Economic Development for Developing Countries class... abridged version:
"As I begin to reflect, I can't help but let out a deep sigh. In this short year that we have been studying development, I can hardly fathom the amount of information that's been presented to us, the number of scenarios and circumstances that we've presented and analyzed, the vast array of cases that we've studied or offered in our responses to a discussion post. Yet as much as I feel as though we've learned/covered throughout the course of this year, I can't help but feel slightly deflated as I grasp one inescapable reality: we've only but scratched the surface. And I guess that's as fitting an analogy as any to development work in general. No matter how much you know, no matter how hard you work, how many projects you put in place, you'll only have scratched the surface, really. I'm not saying that working towards development of an area is futile--I wouldn't be in this field if I really felt that way. Rather, there is this inexplicable sense of there that we seem to be working towards.
Only thing is, I can't tell you what it will look like when we've arrived. I don't think anyone can. Is there having everyone in Southeast Asia above the international 'poverty line'? Is it when 90% of all young Kenyans attend and graduate from high school? No--this work is never done. Christ said it Himself, you will 'always' have the poor among you. We can't and won't change the world. Only God can do that...even on a smaller scale. I think the best that we can do as Christian development practitioners is to try and find our own sense of there, do our best to get there, and thank God for whatever change He allows us to bring about in this world. Is that pessimistic? I'm not sure, but I'd like to think it isn't. I think it's a realistic assessment of ourselves, and our role as practitioners. If I had to express this sentiment with the help of a Scripture, it would most likely be Philippians 3:14: '14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (KJV)' Regardless of the 'state of the developing world', I think it is our goal to press on through it all.
If we don't, then who will?"
...Here's to striving toward your there.
