Systems of the World
Can we build a framework to understand changes around us?
The Reformer Community believes the Church is called to proclaim Christ as we live and build in the Kingdom of God. This letter explores how today’s technologies and tools, governance and rules, and the leaders and teams can be applied towards that mission as we answer the commission to be fruitful and make disciples of the nations.
“You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess…”
Deuteronomy 11:8
There are lots of moving pieces right now. I have a list of podcasters and Substack writers I subscribe to that discuss current events, economics, and technology; and even among that curated-for-me content the analyses and predictions are bouncing all over the place. In a given day, I can hear:
“Things needed to change. This is all good.”
“This change is bad and it will break things and bring pain.”
“This short term pain is necessary for long term growth.”
“We are moving in a radical direction to a place we’ve never been.”
“We are also trying to move backwards to a time to which we can never return.”
“The economy is falling apart.”
“The economy is strong, but the stock market is falling apart.”
“The stock market will rally, but the bond market is falling apart.”
“Buy gold… Buy bitcoin… sell everything… HODL…”
…and that is just from the people I generally agree with.
The Reformers Community seeks to operate in the world and, even with an eye to eternity, engage in real-time. We need to understand all that is happening around us. In order to separate the signal from the noise, it is helpful to step back and create a framework to organize these contradictions. Outlined below is a distinction I have used and find helpful. Classic disclaimer that “all models are wrong, but some are useful”, so this is not meant to be held as a physical reality — just as a tool for organizing thoughts and understanding the dynamic social environment.
Systems and Institutions
First, separate the long-term patterns of humanity from the short-term actions of humans. I call the long trends, tectonic shifts, and multi-generational patterns Systems. Systems are organic, emergent, and cannot be directly influenced by individual people due to their massive scope. Systems are so broad that defining them can be elusive: the economy, society, education, healthcare, etc. — all of these are the systems which structure our world. Systems do not start and end, but they shift and morph over extended timescales.
On the other hand, the contained, measurable, bounded, and well-defined organizations I call Institutions. Where systems are organic, institutions are synthetic; systems are emergent, institutions are managed; systems are elusive, institutions are owned and operated by people. Examples of institutions are banks and exchanges, governments and corporations, schools and universities, hospitals and insurers. These provide the place where regular humans can “plug in” through an institution to engage the larger system. Institutions are built and maintained by people, and when they cease to provide value, they collapse and are replaced.
Rocks and Houses
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Matthew 7:24-25
Applying this framework helps make sense of the confusion around us. The existing institutions which have led us for generations — whether the medical institutions that bungled a pandemic response, the governments which have dropped their end of the social contract (we give taxes, they give the rule of law), or central banks which have forced inflation on the population — are in the midst of collapse. Given these failures, the collapse is not surprising, yet many people rightly concerned about how this will play out.
Conversely, the underlying systems remain fundamentally strong (I’m speaking mainly for the US here, but aspects are true for other countries) — the economy is girded by gifts of natural resources, strategic location, a strong population, and world-leading industries; even our shaky governments are built upon centuries of Common-Law precedent which survived (and thrived) through many past realignments; and the dollar is still running on Bretton Woods-scented fumes as the global reserve currency. Optimistic minds see all of this and recognize that, with the steady guidance and an eye for opportunity, the next decades can be better than the last.
That brings up the big question: when the old institutions either fade away or drift in search of a leader, who will be there to set foundations on a strong underlying system and build new institutions?
I Think You Know the Answer
We add a call in every letter to “be builders for the Kingdom of God.” This is what we are talking about. The Kingdom of God, or “The Church” if you prefer, is the global fellowship of Christ followers. That is a system. We need to build the institutions which connect within that fellowship; that includes local church institutions. We also believe now is the time that we are called to build and reform (hence the name) the explicitly God-less institutions in finance, government, defense, healthcare, technology, etc. which are currently faltering.
Systems are massive ocean tankers which take money and time to turn. If you are a Head of State you might have a hand on the helm, or if you are a once-in-a-generation entrepreneurial talent you might have a hand on the throttle. But (face it, Jack), it is unlikely they are reading this. Instead, we have people who can reform and rebuild their local institutions in a way which honors God and proclaims Christ. So reach out in the messages or Discord, connect with others, share your talents, and we look forward to seeing you out there.
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday…
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
Isaiah 58:9b-10, 12