Don't Rock the Boat, it makes me nervous.

In the 1980’s I decided to set out a quest to cure my ignorance regarding the subject of economics. I attended a week long intensive course on the subject taught by the department head of Purdue and Indiana Universities. (It was funded by a grant and taught every few years to clergy.) I learned many concepts but the two most interesting and life altering are “opportunity cost” and “game theory.” Both are about making decisions between two mutually exclusive alternatives. That is, if you do one thing you can’t also do the other.

You have two alternatives. For example, you can take a vacation in the mountains or the beach. You only have time and money (scarcity) to do one. Each choice would bring you a measure of pleasure. Many pleasures are exclusive to a given choice. You face a measure of anxiety because you are confronted with a choice that guarantees a measure of regret. The cost associated with the mountains, if the beach is chosen, is you will miss out on the rushing streams and quiet forest settings. The cost of choosing the mountains is that you will miss out on the quiet morning walks down the beach and endless horizon of the ocean’s edge.

One form of Game theory differs in that my choice will bring gain to me and loss to another. This concept is often more accurately called “interactive decision theory.” My choice will cost me but it will also cost others. I consider this when I am faced with many choices that will bring benefit to me and others I care about, but will do so at a cost. This cost will raise the level the stress associated with difficult decisions. We find peace when we say, “This path is just too costly.” In the end it comes down to what course will bring the greatest benefit to the most people. Of course, we also need to considered what course of action will bring the greatest glory to God or will meet with what we discern  His greatest pleasure.

  

I am personally faced with many mutually exclusive decisions. Our congregation is also faced with a mutually exclusive decision. Some view our prospects as an opportunity for a better future; others might think the cost of that opportunity is too high. Two things are sure about such a crisis, one is that it is stressful, the other is this stress will greatly diminish once we (I) settle on a course of action and face the sorrow of knowing that whatever is decided will have a cost.

People and organization move toward homeostasis – or an even kneel to borrow a nautical term. We long to steady the boat when it threaten to capsize. Every effort will be marshaled to make uncertainly  certain again. How I long for smooth sailing!