Don’t sweat the small stuff … or is the devil in the details?

In South Australia we currently are experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases and as it made me think of the difference between the need to think ‘big picture’ but then also the impact this has on individuals. It seems to be a Catch-22 where we need to have decision-makers who think of the big picture and don’t lose sight of forward planning by the emotional connection and plight of the immediate, but it is in the every-day that we truly make a difference. As a (I’d like to say mathematician but I don’t feel qualified – my degree was too long ago and it is not an active component of my daily life) logical thinker who has been blessed with an education around mathematical thought and processes, I know that we need to engage in modelling and optimisation and there are mathematical and logical processes and calculations that help project outcomes in a potentially viable model – even to the point of considering anomalies etc and adjusting equations to consider this; but from working with people and sharing their journeys I know that it is the emotional connections, not the abstract, that keep those ‘on the ground’ hopeful for the future and willing to adopt measures that ‘big-picture thinkers’ assure us will project the most positive outcome for the majority. So for the big-picture process to work we need individuals to feel connected to the process, but we need to look beyond the immediate if we are to navigate our way forward. A tricky cycle.

As is often the case Jesus is the example to follow. Who else in history has seen the big picture, known it, been a big part of it and yet has taken the time on a daily basis to engage with the everyday and connect with those who stand to be marginalized by some who suggest they have the big-picture? The thing I keep coming back to is that Jesus was the great includer. Yes I know that is not a real word but it has been a phrase that arose in my brain decades ago, from where I don’t recall, and it remains the phrase I associate him with the most. The Great Includer.

One of the challenges inherent in big-pictures is that many of us don’t feel included or that our voices are heard. This leads to a question of – am I valued – do I matter? Inclusion is potentially the greatest step forward humanity can make in actualizing human dignity. We all have it apparently – not all feel this is true and let’s be honest – not all act like it is true. If I am a part of something bigger then I can do the wrong thing and be told that without it rocking my fragile sense of self-worth. What would this do for our collective mental health? How can we paint ourselves (or others) into this big picture?

This is the challenge I want to see taken up in 2022 – how can we be more collectively and individually inclusive? Who can you include that currently you do not? Who can authority include that currently has no or little voice? How can we all open our ears, and then open our arms, our hearts and our mouths to invite them in whilst working together to build a safe and prosperous tomorrow? It is very likely that someone who has felt excluded will run from the first offer of inclusion but then surely it lies with the inner sanctum to offer again and again, finding new methods, because as a global humanity we need to make sure that our big picture does not erase any of our image.