Blog 53: QUANTITY OR QUALITY

Blog 53

QUANTITY OR QUALITY

by

Vernon M. Herron

At the conclusion of cleaning a yard, a helper asked a gardener for a cup of coffee. “Yes,” said the gardener, “if I don’t have a full cup left, I’ll just add hot water.” Where upon the helper said, “Oh well madam, I would rather have half of a cup and it be strong and good, than a full cup and it be weak and bad.”

A male grocery shopper wanted to surprise his wife and bought a bundle of overly ripe bananas at a bargain price. Upon examining the surprise bundle, the wife explained that fresh and fewer bananas would have been better for the family even at a higher price rather than at the bargain rate.

This author has written seven books. By title, they are as follows:

·         Our Family Tree: A Genealogy of the Herron-McPherson-Harris Family.

·         A Service Handbook of Special Occasions for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

·         System Approach to Management Theory.

·         A Descriptive Analysis of Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y from a Theological Perspective and as Practiced by National Liberty Corporation.

·         A Genealogical Study of Richard Herron (c1810-c1890) and Family of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. (A Genealogical Study in Enslavement).

·         Alexander E. Johnson (c1857-1917) and Family of Orangeburg, South Carolina.

·         Herron Speaks-Volume I.

When this list is reviewed, questions arise.

           

·         Seven books, so what?

·         Following the subject, was there substance in the content?

·         Following the subject, were the readers and writer affected?

The issue at hand is, it is not quantity that counts but quality!

Genesis 5:27 notes that the earth’s longest “live-er” was Methuselah who lived 969 years and “he died.” Even though he lived long, according to the record, he accomplished very little. He attended no school, built no home, church, nor city. He gave no speech, no endowment, lead no army. All that is known from the records is that Methuselah lived 969 years and he died. Oh yes! There is one thing noted. Methuselah had “off springs.” Gen. 5:25 names a son Lamech while verse 26 notes other sons and daughters born in his old age.

Look by way of contrast to prophet Micah, Jesus, the Christ and Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Micah wondered what would God require of him for the sin of his soul? (Micah 6:7-8) He raises questions of possibilities dealing with quantity but found answers in the quality of reality. “Shall I come before the Lord…” asks Micah,

...with burnt offering?

…with calves of a year old?

…thousand of rams?

…ten thousand of rivers of oil?

…my first born?

…the fruit of my body?

He found the answer in the performance of quality.   The Lord required Micah to:

            …do justly.

            …love mercy. 

            ..walk humbly with God.

While Methuselah lived for 969 years, Jesus, the Christ lived 33 years on earth. Only three of those years were spent in His earthly ministry. Of that short period of time, His influence inspired more culture, literature, art, education, architecture , government, religion, business, and courts , world- wide than any other.

Though born in poverty, the birth of Jesus, His physical, mental, social and spiritual growth evolved into a world-wide movement which exposed him as a wise and prudent leader. Through His life, death and resurrection, He demonstrated a faith and a religion between human existence and a divine order.

Jesus, the Christ inspired culture, literature and art and started a religion of which there are more than two billion followers today. We know of no toys which He possessed, yet children around the world admire Him as an idol. He did not attend a college, a seminary nor a rabbinical school, yet schools and universities around the world use His name in their titles and names, while His personhood is used as a theology.

Like Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr. lived a short but powerful and productive life of 39 years. He was a minister, an eloquent speaker for Civil Rights and human dignity. In short, he started a revolution which recognized personal strength, beauty and capability, strength in numbers, how to conquer inner fear and inferiority, the power of love and the urgency for freedom now and for all.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote five books. By titles, they are as follows:

o   Stride Toward Freedom.

o   Strength To Love.

o   Why We Can’t Wait.

o   Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

o   The Trumpet of Conscience.

In doing so, he pricked the conscience of the nation and the world which started a revolution of social justice.

This blog stresses, not the value of numbers, nor the amount as may be found in quantity but the substance as found in quality. Therefore:

Do More Than…

Do more than exist—live!

Do more than live—make a difference!

Do more than eat—taste!

Do more than read—digest!

Do more than talk—say something!

Do more than write---have substance!

Do more than work—achieve!

Do more than earn—save!

Do more than receive—give!

Do more than observe—commit!