Research And Development

There was much in yesterday’s news about the new Moderna anti-Covid vaccination… how it’s different from other vaccines… They talked about the ‘Research and Development’ (‘R&D’) that led to the discovery of the new drug and its clinical trials…

There’s ‘R&D’ work in our ‘Seagull Theatre’. Writers apply for an ‘R&D grant’ if they want to explore a new idea, investigate a story, write a new play. Recently Mark wrote a show based on ‘The Time Machine’ by HG Wells; Josh wrote a play about the life of Houdini…

Scientific and artistic R&D is about being curious, investigating, hypothesising, creating, trying new ideas, reviewing, reflecting, consulting others, improving, doing the best you can…

I looked up various definitions of ‘R&D’; the most concise was: ‘Work directed towards the innovation, introduction, and improvement of products and processes.’

Yesterday…

…going to the football. We were happy because Norwich won 2-1. Dean Smith, the manager, is constantly involved in R&D… trying out new ideas, introducing new players to the team, analysing and reviewing performance, constantly seeking to improve…

…chatting to Esther about parenting skills in general, and her delightful daughters in particular. Esther and Leon are involved in R&D as unique parents bringing up unique children in a unique family… trying new ideas, going to new places, observing their daughters’ response, seeking to do their parenting better, wanting the best for their girls…

Musing…

…Being an R&D Jesus-follower – questioning, understanding in new ways, purposeful activity, reflecting, consulting other ‘experts’, and, with God’s help, constantly seeking to improve, being the best I can…

…When I was younger my Christian faith was fairly rigid, and unchanging…. based on a fixed set of beliefs in Jesus, God, the Bible, life, the afterlife…

Today I don’t reject or diminish these beliefs, but I’d talk more about my mission, quest, journey… following, understanding, walking with, being like Jesus. What Brian McLaren describes as living ‘…by Jesus’ spiritual method of radical, non-discriminatory love and courageous truth-telling.’…An R&D Jesus-follower.