Recently I was reading Robert Greenleaf’s book on Servant Leadership. In that book, he speaks about the narrowing influence of bureaucracy and our responsibility to ensure that we, with a concern for self, remain free (Greenleaf, 2002, p.306). He masterfully uses the illustration, from one of Thurber’s fables, of a man seeing a beautiful unicorn in the front garden. The sight causes wonder to flood his heart. Greenleaf says that the ones who refuse to be quenched, deadened or numbed by the bureaucracy are the ones who greet the day by “seeing the unicorn in the garden”.
Sadly, over time, churches tend to become narrow, rigid, and formal. They become unknowing victims of tradition and familiarity as they grow old and cold. Many stand like memorials looking “back to when” or museums that speak of the glory days past that were filled with life and vision. A revival may be likened to striking a match. Oh how brightly it burns for a time, but then the flame dims, follows the shaft of the match and leaves you holding a black, charred, dead stick. There was a name, a time, a generation that had something. A fire, a zeal, a life, a living faith, but then something was lost. The halls of that building, the Sunday morning joy, fellowship, and the word that lived and spoke from the pulpit, capturing hearts, changing lives. But a few generations on and what is left?
How instructive this is to our own hearts. We also sense that our soul cleaves to the dust and that we have a desperate need to be quickened again and again according to the word (Ps 119:25). We sense our own potatnial to become indifference, calous, familar and dry. But may we be careful, prayerful and have guarded hearts. May we greet the morning by looking out of the window to see the unicorn in the garden. May we open our Bibles and seek the Lord while He may be found. Oh he is a rewarder of those who dilegently seek him. Seek Him with freshness and renewed hunger each day. Be quickened once more with a living faith in the living God. What a wonder to seek Him, find Him, know Him and walk with Him each day!
