‘Devotion to One Reasonable Object’

…I read this quote from the Victorian preacher Charles Spurgeon:

‘We must have only one aim. Had we plenty of time, we might try two or three schemes at once, though even then we should most probably fail for want of concentrating our energies; but as we have very little time, we had better economise it by attending to one thing. The man who devotes all his thought and strength to the accomplishment of one reasonable object is generally successful.’

…I spoke with and about friends whose life is very focused… a homeless gent desperate to find somewhere suitable to live… a young couple who’ve recently had a baby… a man caring for his very sick wife… a woman recovering in hospital wanting to get home… a couple planning their ‘holiday-of-a-lifetime’…

…devoted to one reasonable object.

…I heard ‘Any dream will do’ – from ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’… ‘The world and I we are still waiting, still hesitating, any dream will do’.

Will any dream do? The playground bully who dreams of being the most powerful because the other children fear him? The party-lover who dreams of the best all-night barbecue ever, keeping her neighbours awake with loud music?

Devoted to one reasonable object? Perhaps such objects aren’t reasonable!

I recently saw an example of ‘ikebana’ – one single flower.  I googled it. Ikebana’s a type of Japanese flower arranging, a traditional art form. As I understand it there are clear principles… simplicity, elegance, balance, beauty, harmony… linked to Japanese culture, philosophy and religion…

Ikebana uses beautiful materials to create something even more beautiful… Any flower arranged in any way won’t do.

St Paul’s said: ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’

‘Doing good’ is a positive reasonable object… not becoming weary and not giving up suggests devotion… perhaps the harvest will be simplicity, elegance, balance, beauty, harmony… taking the beautiful and creating greater beauty.