“Isaiah work”: What are the returns on labours of love?
Calvin Mulligan (c) September 28, 2023 Futurescapes.ca All rights reserved
““Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit.”— Indian proverb
NOTE: This commentary grew out of a conversation initiated by a compatriot in the freedom movement. I’m taking the liberty of extending our conversation “outward” in that others in the freedom movement may derive some fresh perspective or encouragement from it. Our conversation was based on an article entitled, The Resonant Remnant, an old testament reference the obscure minority that heard the message of the prophet Isaiah. The author references the often challenging work of leaders who confront the established order.
Modern day management theory places immense importance on the ability of aspiring leaders to orchestrate organizational change (change leadership). Hundreds of books and articles have been written on the subject, thousands of classes taught on the subject and hundreds of millions spent on related consulting services worldwide. But when it gets down to the real nitty gritty, organizations have complex inner lives of their own. Often, deeply entrenched competing interests and habits prevail and the change campaign fails short, a victim of “organizational gravity.” According to some analyses, failures in this realm are more common than successes. Truth warriors can take some comfort in this when confronting their own lack of success in awakening others to important truths and imperatives over the last three years. And presumably, a kinder, gentler and more realistic assessment of one’s performance will in turn help ward off debilitating discouragement, regret and self-recrimination.
I need to revisit and re-think my idea of success in this truth war as much as anyone. My failure to communicate effectively concerning the vaxx threat to the health and lives of those I care about is apparent. Earlier this month, my former church reported the “unexpected” sudden passing of one of its congregants, a 68 year old gentleman who was required to be fully-vaxxed in order to attend church services. I was still grieving his loss when I learned that a Manitoba cousin had also died suddenly (vaxx likely, not confirmed). In January of 2021, I sent both of these folks a personal email sharing the results of my investigation on the subject and warning them away from the vaxx. The 68 year old gentleman was analytical in his bent and had a degree in physics, so why didn’t logic prompt him to decline the vaxx? It must be true then that Hell, is not only devoid of love, it’s also devoid of reason.
It’s a hard lesson for those raised on the mechanistic Western model of how the world works. In reality however, the laws of the universe pay little attention to the principles of Project Management. In God’s great scheme of things, A plus B plus C doesn’t predictably lead to D. This is called the Age of Unreason for a good reason. In a previous edition of this letter, I shared an alternative to our logic-driven approach to winning friends and influencing Covid believers. It’s a right brain, heart-to-heart approach employing narrative and artistic media — stories, documentaries, musicals and “other”. Beyond that, in the interest of our mental health and well-being, we might also revisit the terms of reference and our expectations for our mission. What is the true nature of “truth-warrior” work? What are realistic expectations in terms of possible outcomes?
The author of The Resonant Remnant would likely define the terms of reference for the kind of “Isaiah work” truth warriors undertake along these lines:
Your role will be planting “seeds”, the harvest will be left to divine hands;
You won’t reach the masses, but rather a smaller remnant with ears to hear and with whom your message resonates;
Most of what you say will fall on deaf ears;
You won’t know who comprises the resonant remnant per se and are unlikely to meet its members face to face;
You can’t know the means whereby your message reaches the receptive remnant; thus, in effect you’re speaking “into the wind”;
There will be no formal or official acknowledgement of your contribution (in this life at least);
The size of the harvest won’t be known for some time — perhaps not even in your life time;
You won’t find the resonant remnant through your efforts they will find you or your message of their own accord; and
You can expect the usual hostility accorded those who deliver unwelcome messages or inconvenient truths.
This isn’t conventional selling either. As author, Eleutheroo puts it, the Internet provides for “a virtual marketplace of ideas where each can present their ideas and works, not with the intent of selling a product, but of sending out a signal that will be…received by those on that wave-length.
“Isaiah” work has no rational appeal for ordinary men and women who are deeply attached to the hive mind. It’s too nebulous and unpredictable, too risky and decidedly unsexy. There’s clearly no prospect of achieving big time Influencer status with a large following of adoring fans and gratuitous virtue points. This work is reserved for selfless individuals prepared to plant in rain or shine in faith, deaf to the ridicule and confident of a harvest in due course. Yes, there may be the occasional word of appreciation from some member of that elusive remnant, but ultimately this is a labour of love and its operation consigned to the realm of mystery.
A labour of love is it’s own reward. And as the author puts it, the measure of its success isn’t a matter of material or numeric gains. It’s the joy and fulfillment found in living out one’s calling. This is the joy of living on that higher plane where talent, motive and mission are marvellously fused. The screenwriter for the movie Chariots of Fire (1981), captured the joy of such a partnership with the divine. The lead actor playing the Sottish Olympic athlete, Eric Liddell, summed up his passion for running: “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” I doubt that it gets any better than that. Shine on fellow truth-warriors!
End notes:
The resonant remnant, Alethea Eleutheroo: https://pleromic.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/the-resonant-remnant/
Chariots of Fire: https://thecourieruk.shorthandstories.com/chariots-of-fire/
Quote investigator: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/04/29/tree-shade/
Eric Liddell, Torchlighters, https://torchlighters.org/eric-liddell-1902-1945/#:~:text=Olympian%20Eric%20Liddell%20is%20often,suggest%20Liddell%20actually%20said%20this
Video: Pfizer’s “secret” report on the Covid vaccine. The evidence is overwhelming. The vaccine should be immediately withdrawn worldwide. https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-pfizers-secret-report-on-the-covid-vaccine-beyond-manslaughter-the-evidence-is-overwhelming-the-vaccine-should-be-immediately-withdrawn-worldwide/5780561