Book Matters. Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the end of China's Last Golden Age

Every once in a while a book of history has significant relevance today. For those who have had interactions with China or who are watching the current trade wars this book by Stephen R. Platt is a must read. The book chronicles the attempt by the west to force the Chinese to open their borders to greater trade (including opium) and the various strategies that were used to convince China to comply. 

The end of the Opium War (which was about much more than opium) saw the Chinese cede the Island of Hong Kong to the British along with 12 square miles of the mainland, later supplemented by a 100 year lease of the New Territories. This was my home during my childhood and I had the experience of visiting the residual opium dens still open in the 60's. No I did not inhale - I promise. 

While the events of the book take place in the 1700's and 1800's the essential style of leadership in China related to outsiders doing trade with the same is amazingly similar. In addition, the inability of the West to understand or attempt to understand the Chinese psychology during this period reminds me very much of the attempts of the United States to convince the Chinese to modify certain practices today. 

China is not easily convinced to change their practices and neither force or public shaming have been helpful in that regard. The west is doing both today and China is doing what it has always done in taking the long view and biding their time. A reading of this book indicates that not much has changed in this regard. 

Equally compelling for any business people or missionaries who are going to work cross culturally are the lessons that can be learned from this account of the necessity to understand one's host culture, its way of thinking and its practices based on their historical values. 

The west was wildly incompetent in this regard, not only in their way of relating to the Chinese but in their total disregard of what mattered to China. They were the west after all and knew what to do! In fact, China knew a great deal more about the west than the west knew about China and that is true today as well. Cultural intelligence has not been the west's strong suit in understanding Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria or China. Reading this volume reminds me that the west makes many of the same mistakes today that we did two and three hundred years ago.

If I taught cross cultural studies I would make this required reading for the class. We can learn much from history and particularly from this volume. I give this five stars for the historical account and its relevance for today. 

Creating cultures of organizational excellence
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Why the minority voice often wins on church boards and within congregations and what to do about it

It is very frustrating to those that make up the majority when a minority voice is able to determine the outcome of church issues. This can take place at the board level or within congregations, even when the polity is one where the majority should be able to move forward. Unfortunately, it is all too common, and church leaders often allow it to happen. In my experience, there are a number of tactics that are used to manipulate a larger group by a minority group.

One. Our voices will be loud, and we will therefore give the impression that we are many. This works well behind the scenes when there is conflict over a decision and in congregational meetings where loud voices often rule the day. 

Two. We will declare that many agree with us with the implication that if you try to move forward, you will "split the church" or cause "serious conflict and division." Now I have done a great deal of conflict resolution in churches, and I have never encountered a situation where this was actually true. I have seen pastors and boards try to push things through when a majority were dissenting (it was not pretty), but when a few voices declare that there are many with them, I am often skeptical. However, this tactic often works because leaders and congregations don't want to cause undo conflict, so they back off with only the word of a few that they actually have strong support.

Three. If you move forward with that decision, we will leave. So let's call that for what it is: congregational blackmail! Since it is considered wrong to "push people out of a church," this threat is used against the majority because the minority can claim that they were indeed pushed out. What actually happened was that the minority simply chose to leave because they didn't desire to stay. 

This is often a threat that works, but it is nothing less than congregational blackmail. The same can be said for those who declare that if you move forward, they will withhold their funding. That is financial blackmail. All threats no matter what they are, by a minority voice to block the majority should be considered blackmail and should be called exactly that - in public where appropriate.

Four. If you move forward, there will be a lot of people who will be angry. Given what I said in one and two, it is unlikely that a lot of people will be angry. Also, any time you make any decisions in a church, someone is likely to disagree, but if that is the criteria by which we make decisions, no decisions would be made. While this strikes fear in many congregants, it is emotional blackmail by those using the tactic.

One of the fundamental reasons that all these threats work is that most people are conflict resistant. They don't want to have to negotiate conflict, they are afraid of conflict, and they especially don't like conflicts in the church with people they know. Unless leaders understand this and speak to it, such threats often work to the chagrin of the majority of the congregation or board. Fear keeps leaders and congregations from moving forward in the face of threats. 

So how do you counter these tactics? Especially when you have an entrenched individual or group where dialogue and reasoning has not done anything to change their minds?

First, I would suggest that you look at the tactics of the minority group and ask whether they fit any of the scenarios above. Perhaps I have missed something but be willing to name the tactic that is being used for what it is. Explain to the individual or group involved that their tactics are not fair or honest and see if reasoning will change their behaviors.

Second, if reasoning fails, which it often will, I would encourage the board or leadership to share with the congregation what they believe to be true. That you believe this is a minority view, that you have tried to reason with them, and that you believe that for the good of the ministry, the church needs to move forward. It is possible to say these things in a way that does not disparage but does speak the truth. If leaders are cowed, the congregation will be as well. If leaders are courageous and forthright, the congregation is likely to follow. 

Third, if this is a significant decision and there is no clarity on what is actually happening, bring in a third party to ascertain what is really going on. It is not hard for a disinterested and experienced third party to evaluate the situation and determine the actual facts rather than hearsay. 

Finally, in all of these discussions, remember that what is at stake is the health and effectiveness of the Body of Christ, The Bride. Don't compromise the work of God out of fear! 

TJ Addington (Addington Consulting) has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com.

"Creating cultures of organizational excellence."

Make 2019 the year that you don't resaw the sawdust

Re-sawing the sawdust is the practice of asking the "What if" questions of our lives. It is reliving the situations we wish we had handled differently and avoiding the regrets that we live with. If only we had not done.... If only we had handled a situation differently. If only we had not suffered the situation we walked through. If only. 

Here is something to remember. None of us get to the end without regrets, failures and situations that are painful. But the sawdust is already in a pile on the floor and there is nothing we can do about it. We are fallible, sinful, sometimes foolish and often wrong. The only thing to do with the sawdust is to give it to God,  ask forgiveness if necessary and live in His grace and mercy - which according to Jeremiah is new every morning. You cannot re-saw sawdust. 

Asking the "what if" questions is a waste of time since we cannot do anything about them except learn from them. And that wasted time is time we cannot invest in making wise and productive choices regarding our future. The past is past and there is no redo. The future is a wide open vista with unlimited possibilities. It is where our focus should be. 

When Jeremiah wrote the words "Your mercies or compassions are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness," he was standing in the rubble of the destroyed city of Jerusalem. Rather than focus on the disaster that surrounded him, his focus was on the mercies of God and God's faithfulness today and tomorrow. At that moment he was not looking back but looking forward based on the character and love of God. Jeremiah was declaring that all was not lost. His mercies are new each day and His faithfulness is great. Repentance for the past sins was part of his equation but living in the past was not (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Those who have the hardest time letting go of the past are those who tend toward perfection. Failure, mistakes or not getting it right are deeply painful to them (I count myself in this company) and just letting go and admitting they screwed up is tough. Those who live in their head find themselves reliving the events over and over and over. 

For those who know Christ, we can leave our past at the cross. If it is a matter of sin He tells us that He fully forgives. If it is a matter of mistakes made He tells us we are human - it happens. If it is a matter of illness or those things we have no control over, He tells us that His faithfulness is great. If it is infused with pain, regret, sadness and depression He says His mercies are new every morning.

If all those things are true, we need to discipline ourselves to look forward and not backward. Every time you start looking back, remind yourself - Jesus has it - you left it at the cross. There is no better place to leave everything. 

Helping individuals and organizations go to the next level

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What are the most important priorities in your life?

Priorities matter. They reflect us in a unique way because they reflect our character and commitments. For me, these include my marriage, my family, my God and my work - using my gifts that God has given me. These four priorities reflect my deepest desires and highest attention.

Our challenge is that those things that are most important to us are often not given the highest attention in our lives. We know they are important but other issues and things take their place in the normal course of our lives. The only way to compensate for this is to ensure that what is truly important to us is that which we focus on first, leaving other things for later.

The end of one year and the beginning of another is a great time to evaluate that which is most important. How did we do this year? What do we want to accomplish next year? What is our plan to nurture the important and not allow the less important to crowd out the important?

If you are serious about the most important, take the time to identify what you want to accomplish in those areas of life this coming year. And then write down you plan with specifics that you can work on through the year. 

You may not fulfill you plan perfectly but a plan is always better than no plan and progress better than the status quo. Each year is an opportunity to grow in those areas that are most important to us. Don't let the opportunity go by. It is precious as life is short. In fact, we have no idea how long we will be on this earth. We want to minimize the "I wish I had..." at the end of our lives and replace it with "I am so glad that I..." 

Ecclesiastes tells us that as long as there is life there is hope. Use the time that you have and focus on the most important because that is what will matter at the end of our lives. 

New beginnings and New Year Resolutions

I find the days between Christmas and New Years to be a time of important reflection. A new year is a gift. Whatever the challenges of the present (past) year were, there is a new year starting and we have opportunities for renewal, new hope and even new practices.

I would encourage you to take stock of the past year during these days. What do you have to be thankful for? What do you wish had been different? Are there things or people you need to leave behind for your own health and well being? Are there things that need to be different and what can you do about it?

The last question is an important one. New beginnings can be a perfect time for new practices. None of us can do everything at once so think about the two or three things that you believe should be different in your life. Be specific about what you want to change.

Change does not happen without weaving new practices into our lives. Habits are formed by repeatedly practicing something over and over. Think about how you can incorporate needed changes for three months. At the end of three months if you are consistent, those changes are likely to have become habits and fairly easy to stay current with. Practices become habits which become part of our lifestyle! Change can look daunting but if you can think of the next three months, the longer term is likely to take care of itself.

If you keep a journal, keep track of your daily progress for three months. If you don't keep a journal this is a good reason to start one. A daily reminder of the commitment made will go a long ways toward your success.

Don't let this season pass without evaluating your current life. One, two or three significant changes can change the trajectory of your life. The new year is a great time to start. The past is past. Now for the new!