The late Bill Holm was recognized as the 2008 Distinguished Artist by the McKnight Foundation. In the testimonial booklet that was published in conjunction with the award David Pichaske quotes Walt Whitman "Resist much, obey little." He goes on to say "In most things, Holm set himself squarely against the established power structures and received wisdom of his hometown-and America- during the 1950s, embodying the '60s version of Whitman's admonition: 'Whatever the power structure wants you to do is probably not in your best interest so do the opposite.' In an early essay titled 'The Grand Tour,' Holm wrote, 'One of power's unconscious functions is to rob you of your own experience by saying we know better, whatever you may have seen or heard, whatever cockeyed story you come up with; we are principle, and if experience contradicts us, why then you must be guilty of something.'"
This rings true of my experience and some of the most satisfying moments I had in 40 years of ministry were those time I could use what power I had to intervene on behalf of someone being mishandled by senseless bureaucracy.
No comments:
Post a Comment