The town of Viganella, Italy had a problem. Located in a valley in the Alps, it had 86 days in the winter when it was in the shadow of the mountains. The sun never, ever shined on this town between November 11 and February 2.
By 2006 the town had enough and decided to erect a 25 by 15 foot mirror on an opposing mountain. The mirror caught the sun’s light and was aimed to shine it into the town square. The mirror is mounted on a motorized pivot that allows it to follow the sun all day and maximize the light making it to the square.
The obvious message may be that the church should be a similar beacon of light to the community. But I’ll go another direction.
For centuries the residents of this town lived with the idea that they were going to be in the shade all winter. But at some point, somebody said, “You know what I bet would work…”
What are the things in your church that you have just come to realize are about as likely to change as a peak in the Alps disappearing so you can get some sun? Sure, you would like to see change, but it’s just not going to happen.
I’m not suggesting that what happened to get the sun to shine was easy, inexpensive or a unanimous choice. I’m sure it was none of them. But a problem gave way to a vision, which became a plan which became a project which became a reality.
If they had committed just a single meeting of a single committee it never would have happened.
George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
Maybe it’s time to appoint someone in your church “Executive Director of Being Unreasonable” and see what sun-filled changes can happen.
I love it! I think I’ll apply for that position: “Executive Director of Being Unreasonable”. I think I may have the resume for it!