Saturday, May 19, 2007

Going Bananas?

You may think I'm going bananas, but I did an experiment this week. Seth Godin suggested on his blog that "it's a lot easier to peel a banana if you start from the 'wrong' end." I took those words as a challenge! I went way out on a limb (not literally) and tried out this new wisdom at lunch on Tuesday.

First, I carefully examined both ends of the banana to see if Seth's claims seemed plausible. Considering that I like a rather pre-ripe banana, the stem is usually a bit difficult to open. Usually, a gentle incision with my front teeth break the stem open enough to begin peeling. This time I focused on the other end. I looked carefully and then I started...It was a breeze. Seth was right and I told everyone in the office!

Here's the point. Will I continue to peel bananas this new way, or will I go back to the way I've always done it? Will the rest of the office try it? (Andrea did.) Will people consider me strange for peeling bananas this way?

Like Seth says, I think we have a tendency to continue to do things the hard way because it just "feels" like the right thing to do. It's hard to change and it's hard to get others to change even if it easier or more effective.

How often do we approach ministry this way?