We human beings really don’t understand how much
our individual choices impact this world.
For example: this week, one of our top developers
changed a method name in our code base. He updated all references, and only committed his code once he verified that everything worked. This developer is very talented and exceptional at his job. He was far from careless.
However, the code base is used widely enough that
his change disabled one of our product’s key features. Worse, there was nothing
to hint anything was wrong—until one of us tried to access the feature.
Once we noticed the problem it
took time for another developer to track down the source. It cost us. It would
have cost us a lot more had we distributed the product. Hundreds of customers
would have been affected and unhappy.
Amazing what only a few keystrokes can do.
Yet history is replete with moments like these:
singular decisions that have far-reaching consequences.
Take the current status of the Middle East, for
instance. The Arab Spring uprisings began with one man committing suicide after
his vegetable cart was wrongly confiscated by the Tunisian police.
Or our own involvement in the region: only one
individual is allegedly responsible for killing 16 Afghan civilians, including
men, women, and children. And now our entire mission in Afghanistan is in serious
jeopardy.
Not to mention the shot that began World War I,
which directly led to World War II and the birth of the modern, industrialized
society. One man, one pistol, one shot.
The Bible also contains several examples of small
decisions with far-reaching consequences. David’s affair with Bathsheba (2 Sa
11). Solomon’s decision to marry foreign wives (1 Ki 3:1). Esau’s sale of his
birthright for a bowl of stew (Ge 25:29-34). Had the devil succeeded in
tempting Jesus in the desert (Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12,13; Lk 4:1-13), it would have
been catastrophic for humanity—a catastrophe on par with Adam and Eve’s
original sin (Ge 3:1-7).
Granted, these are all extreme examples of
maliciousness, not the mundane blasé of everyday living. Intent doesn’t
discount them—they are still small motions that changed the world.
Yet despite of our foolish decisions, God still
knows how to turn them around for good. Judah’s decision to sell his brother
Joseph into slavery (Ge 37:25-28) helped save thousands of lives and laid down
the beginning of Judaism. David’s affair with Bathsheba produced the bloodline
from which Jesus descended (Mt 1:6). Though our sin runs amok, God’s grace is still
there, mitigating the damage. He remains patient with us, “because he does not want any to
perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Pe 3:9).
I can never be sure that any of my own decisions
will not have far-reaching catastrophic consequences. Yet neither can I live my
life in constant fear that I might hurt someone inadvertently. Every choice I
make, mundane or no, affects others.
It’s almost as if God has designed our world to
work this way in its fallen state. I have to trust that even in my unknown
sins, God is bringing good for all. The more I understand that, the more thankful
I am when he shows me grace The more patient I am when He chooses not to
protect me so I can learn from my mistakes—just as any loving father would do.
It gets even better.
God clearly does not abandon us to our messes. Yet
neither will he force us to live with them forever. One day, our exile will be done, and
He will wipe all tears from our eyes (Re 21:4). We will truly be able to live
without the chance that we might hurt others around us.
Our world will be transformed into what it was
originally meant to be: humans fellowshipping with each other and with God and
loving one another forever and ever.
