I’m far from a genius, but a genius does not a polymath make.
While I’m certainly no da Vinci, I feel I would have benefited from his brand of education. As I’ve often said: I graduated with a liberal studies degree, and I plan to use it liberally.
I don’t purposely compartmentalize my relationships, but I’ve discovered my varied interests do not play nicely in each crowd. I must pick-’n-choose the format most appreciated within the cluster. It offers the impression of a chameleon, but honestly I do not change for each faction -- I merely offer a piece of myself.
One might say that the dilettante is best suited for apostolic work, in the sense that we will never misinterpret the context of our mission. I wonder if Paul held a similar set of skills. He was equally comfortable dabbling with the Greek philosophers as he was speaking the language of the Roman brass. Like Paul, I’m not well-versed for the sake of relevancy, but to utilize any resource at my disposal to communicate an unadulterated Gospel message. In other words, I do not present my knowledge for the sake of gaining favor with those I desire to proselytize. Rather, I allow their lives to present a context for their need of grace (they always will) and roll with the eclectic punches, if only to understand the redemptive gifts and corruptive lies within their culture.
This performs wonderfully in a ministry context and surprisingly well as a barista or bartender. However, it can deter the depth of my relationships, as each friend and loved one only gains the appreciation of one portion of my life. For not every philosopher can style his/her writing with imagination, a sporting fanatic rarely appreciates the fine arts, the majority of theologians will not enjoy gaming, and few social workers care to differentiate fine coffee, beer, or wine.
[Few homeowners want to live nomadically, and few nomads adore the idea of fatherhood.]
Having a working knowledge of many disciplines can be a lonely thing. Life has become a vain pursuit for the individual that would welcome the diversity of my mind. I know that it’s foolish to expect a full-scale appreciation for every field of learning, but is it selfish of me to hope in earnest that someone would join me in this world of discovery?
This program is in progress…
1 comment:
Is it possible that in some contexts, people are just waiting for you to introduce those dimensions to the relationship? When you let them direct the conversation, they often choose familiar ground, but perhaps they would enjoy pursuing some of your other interests? It’s possible that people are interested in you and just waiting for you to open up. I think people might be interested in what you’re interested in, just because you are interested in it. It’s like what you said about watching people enjoy art – I find it very engaging to listen to you talk about your passions. Even baseball. And if you’re lucky, you’ll occasionally find another who shares some of your diverse interests, but is holding back because they also think you’re not interested in them.
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