Where There Is No...

Dr. James Emery White | Mecklenburg Community Church | Published: Jan 23, 2023

Where There Is No...

I’m sure there are many of you who have read or heard it proclaimed before:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

It’s a powerful line and one that has been used by many a leader (or leadership consultant) to extol the importance of having a vision and casting it, so that the people you lead will be served.

The source is Proverbs 29:18.

Only it isn’t.

The best translation of the Hebrew for “vision” is actually “revelation.” And it isn’t a reference to a leader’s revelation about what the people should do or be, but rather about the importance of people knowing and following God’s revelation. In its typical Old Testament context, it refers to prophetic revelation given by God, through a prophet, to the people. This revelation can be withheld or refused.

The result? The word “perish” is actually best translated “cast off restraint.” Think of undisciplined children running wild around the house.

So what the verse is actually saying is, “Where there is no sense of God’s revelation – His Word – people run wild.”

I still think that preaches, just in a different way.

When you remove any sense of God having spoken, of there being absolute truth, then people become their own gods and run wild. They cast off restraint and follow only the sound of their own wishes and desires, instincts and feelings, lusts and cravings. Radical individualism becomes the only moral compass.

I still believe that without visionary leadership, organizations of any kind – including churches – perish. There’s just not a verse stating that, but of course, the Bible is not meant to contain exhaustive truth, just necessary truth. 

I also believe that without an understanding and acceptance of God’s revelation, any individual or group of individuals will perish.

But I do have a verse for that.

Because it is a necessary truth.

James Emery White

About the Author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His forthcoming book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org, where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on TwitterFacebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

Where There Is No...