Some Thoughts On Growth

WED., MAR. 24, 1993, 11:56 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

It seems clear to you that Richard, your pastor, is in favor of growth for your congregation, this unique “portion” of My Body, as Christ. I have some thoughts on this theme (which shouldn’t surprise you!), and I am happy to share these, as you’ve gotten your day organized sufficiently.

You realize that growth is, in your dominant culture, a sign of health… a desirable goal and achievement. You also know that I am not completely in favor of growth, an attitude which was antecedent to your own developed feelings. Hear some of My thoughts that probably qualify as negative.

First I shall echo your physical analog: in the human body, after mature growth has been realized further growth tends to be obesity or cancer. In other words more growth results in less efficient action, loss of certain capacities, strain on the whole system, and a predisposition to disease and premature death. OR it is manifested as healthy cells that are non-functional and which crowd out cells and organs that are essential for health and continuing life; life continues when this growth is checked completely; success is “no more growth.”

In like fashion the growth of the world’s population of humans is coming to parallel obesity and cancer. Resources necessary for life and for a reasonable standard of living cannot be increased to match the increases in people. Relatively more are living in poverty, with governments less and less able to increase living standards and maintain, let alone increase, services and the infrastructure necessary for the “good life.” Increasingly there will be struggles between the productive young and the retired elderly on how well these latter should be “cared for.” As population increases outstrip actual jobs the conflicts between those who are working and those who are not will increase. “Natural” growth adds to the creativity and energy of a population group… and also to its non-functional persons.

I also have expressed disfavor with economic growth as a measure of a culture’s health. This is because I can see what current transformations of energy are doing to the earth’s environment, mostly in terms of waste produced and “disposed of.” I do not want the health of this planet, with its diversity of life, diminished much further, mostly due to human numbers and human activities. Continuing growth leads to less overall, holistic health, say I, from My vantage point.

Now when a human is young, growth is expected as a sign of health. Yet it isn’t a truth that “the bigger, the better.” A 260 pound, 7 footer is not necessarily a more desirable human than one who weighs 170 pounds and is only 5’9”. In several of your nation’s favorite sports there are advantages in being larger, but these advantages are diminished by age and last only a few years, generally.

Now, to the church. In one sense I should surely be in favor of incredible growth in churches… till every human is an active, committed member of My Body, and “every knee is bowed to Me, as Lord of all.” But I surely realize the evangelical capacities of My Christian servants, and I continue to allow the creation and the journeys on other spiritual paths. Some of the growth evident in some churches comes from “proselytizing” new members from other portions of this Christian Body.