Air Conditioning
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
Recently, while driving on a very hot day here in Washington, I reflected on the amazingly cold air coming out of the vents in my car. I was quite grateful that someone invented air conditioning. When I was living in the Midwest, I was even more grateful for air conditioning, since it was almost impossible to live without it in the summertime.
There is a principle called the adjacent possible that led to the invention of air conditioning.
The adjacent possible principle is that new ideas or innovations often emerge by taking existing elements that we know and combining them as building blocks to create new things.
An example of this is air conditioning.
Way back in 1902, there was a young engineer standing on a train platform on a very foggy night. As he considered the fog, he wondered if you could recycle fog in order to cool a building. He took the things that already existed and built the technology to take it to the next level. He patented the idea, and air conditioning was born. The engineer’s name was Willis Carrier, and the Carrier company is now a major company that helps cool buildings on hot summer days.
The adjacent possible principle is constrained by the things you know and that are present, but that doesn’t mean all possibilities are immediately apparent. One must explore and experiment in order to unlock new and unforeseen things.
It reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 of a man going on a trip who gave funding to different employees. To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. Those willing to examine the adjacent possible principle took what the man gave them and explored ways to use and expand them into more and more talents to bless the man when he returned. One, as you know, chose only to look at what he had without considering other possible ways to expand and build upon what was given to him.
Christians each have spiritual gifts.
They are bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit at baptism. There is no doubt that some have more and others less, but all are an important part of the body of Christ. As the parable states, however, each one could be using the adjacent possible principle — taking the things they already know and have — to see how to expand and grow, all for the glory of God. God has promised to walk with us as we grow in our ministry for Him.
Why not kneel this week before God and pray that you will be able to see not only the spiritual gifts you have (we all have them) but also ask God for wisdom to build upon them to new, unseen heights of ministry? God will lead each one of us as we place ourselves in His care and keeping.