Intention Deficit Disorder

We have an I.D.D. problem if we are in ministry without clear intentions, or are suffering from too many good intentions. Jesus can help us have the right intentions!

In the traditions of many ancient peoples, the Hebrew tribes among them, one demonstrated mastery or authority over another is through the act of naming. Thus it is in the Genesis story that God brings all the other creatures to the newly formed Adam and lets him name each one. The vast, unknowable expanse of creation is limited and tamed with each name Adam attaches. He becomes the master and presumes control through this naming activity.

This is a game we still love to play. We are still convinced that if we can just put a name to something, we can understand it and even bring it under our control. Among both educational and medical professionals one of the most popular names that has recently surfaced is something called "Attention Deficit Disorder" -- or ADD. This is the name we have chosen to give to a series of complex, interrelated, and individually unique manifestations that seem to make certain types of learning extraordinarily difficult for some people.

Diagnosing ADD or...