In Charles Murray’s opinion of human accomplishment, in arts and sciences, there are two features that are found, either separately or together, in virtually all achievements. The first is the abiding impulse of human beings to understand, to seek out the inner truth of things. Meaningful success is not instantaneous. Increments are so small, and often evasive, that appearances of progress may be difficult to detect. But, as individuals, we are able to discover many small truths. In passing of time, we begin to converge on truth in some of its large and full forms. The second feature named by Murray is beauty, an important, even vital, factor in any story, but not included for our purposes here. Isaiah affirms that mankind understands increments of truth and beauty.
Wise professors are well acquainted with the incremental principle – that learning takes place as accumulations of small bits of large truths or bodies of knowledge in the learner. Seldom does one gain sudden and dramatic acquisition of a large quantity of material or perceived change in conduct in a short period of time. Generally, teachers know that this maturation process needs to be cultivated. It is growth, little by little (poco a poco as the Spanish language has it) that leads ultimately to the fully formed person. Phillips Brooks put it well when he said, Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. An embryo is formed little by little in the womb of the mother, emerging into open nature after 250 days, so formed in small days of time. God forms us similarly in the sanctification process over a lifetime.
This is the way we grow as intellectual and emotional human beings. There is an inch here, and another inch there. Wise parents use increments in nurturing their children. It takes sensitivity, patience, faith, understanding, love, reasoning, and a few other attributes, fairly and tenaciously combined. What one thing may be learned today to make me a better person? One is enough. Many students I have taught wanted dramatic changes, immediate to their interests. But the best students in the fields of communication learned for the day’s class some small change in diction, some small basic principle in style, some effective test for evidence and logic. It is a process to understanding and wisdom for life and action in a complex world, in a creation full of paradox, in a magnificent but flawed human situation. The same story may be recited relative to the experience of parishioners. I knew that certain members would grow in their spiritual lives, because they did not try to force a gallon of growth in a quart sized vessel. They were the ones who became growing and maturing Christians, using the points of the day, not only for the information but for the growth in capacity for it. They felt that this was a life-long process. It does not change or close down when we graduate from school or wait for us to age in years.
Isaiah did not accept measured processes as excuse for delay in progress. This does not mean he denied the process, but that it was distorted as a charade – not becoming firm in moving forward with life and duty. In the self-examination of the communion service, we should look for the increments in our lives – as noted by the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 11:28. Surely there are dramatic leaps, but not common enough to get us to the desired haven. We feel safe in incremental growth, which can be speeded up a bit with effort. Be vigilant to assure that growth is taking place. God has a right to be, and man should be, impatient with less. Mankind is satisfied with a sense of accumulation, the accumulation of anything, but God is concerned with direction. What is the direction of my life leading me to become and accomplish? *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020