The strategy of God
Following on from my post on Driscoll, Phillip Jensen's article on strategy and tactics in Briefing #358/9 is now online. Here is the part I referred to:
In modern terms, Paul is talking about the difference between strategy and tactics. I'm sure, like me, you have endured strategic planning sessions where nearly the entire time is consumed in a debate over the differences between words like ‘mission’ and ‘vision’ and ‘purpose’ and ‘strategy’ and ‘tactics’! I am using the words as the Macquarie Dictionary defines them:
strategy: noun. generalship; the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.
tactics: plural noun. the art or science of disposing military or naval forces for battle and manoeuvring them in battle.1
Strategy is the big thinking—the overall plan and the means for getting there. Strategy is done by Prime Ministers and generals who say, “If we're going to win World War II, we'll have to land an invasion force in France, backed up by air support”. Tactics is more immediate thinking: it's manoeuvring the pieces on the chessboard to achieve the smaller milestones that go together to make up the strategy. Tactics is done by colonels and captains who say, “We'll need to land this many troops at this time and in this place, depending on the tides and the weather, in order to secure a beachhead, with this many planes running these missions in support”.
If the strategy is to win the war by invading France, then there may be a number of legitimate tactical approaches to getting that done. But these options wouldn't include sending flowers, or running up the white flag, or deciding to land an invasion force in Greenland instead. Tactics sit under strategy, and are circumscribed by strategy.
In Christian ministry, as in war and business, we must not only have a clear understanding of what our strategy is, but how it relates to the day-to-day tactics. This is particularly important for Christians, because our strategy is not something we have to come up with at a vision-planning day. Our strategy is understood by revelation. It is God's strategy—his cosmic plan—and his way of getting it done.
1 The Macquarie Dictionary Online © 2008 Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd.
Glad the article is now online so I can read it. Is this an indication of things to come?
Re strategy and tactics: I agree. Tactics seem to be talking about what Philip used to coin as principled pragmatics—i.e. with a biblical strategy as our guide, how are we going to specifically work it out?
Yet not all tactics or pragmatics are as principled as others, are they?
This is not beer and strippers tactics vs. bible study tactics, but consumer tactics vs. community tactics.
Can we say that attractional models are as equally valid tactic as another model?
Surely some tactics reflect biblical realities more than others?
Anyhow, it was great to be reminded of the core business: prayer, proclamation and people. Thanks for the post.
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