Interconnectivity

Theorists say that you are linked to everyone on the globe through a chain of five people or less, one of whom needs to be an acquaintance of yours.

The first 7-or-less connection I heard was this:

1.       A friend of ours

2.       was raised in the Middle East. He happened to be visiting family in the US and they took him to a Christmas pageant

3.        performed by a Hutterite colony.

4.       Fifteen years later, under the stars in Africa, he described the pageant to a group of friends. One of them had a Hutterite heritage. “That was the colony I grew up on,” she said. “I know who played those parts.”

Suddenly, a man raised in the East had a direct link to a Hutterite Christmas pageant he had seen fifteen years before. Or, taking it one link further, because I am acquainted with him, I am connected to Mary of the pageant.

Links are everywhere. This takes the Mennonite Game to a whole new level, folks. This is the advanced version and can be played with anyone, regardless of their bloodlines. For example:  

1.       My

2.       Mom

3.       has a cousin who is a State Representative.

4.       He was invited to the home of the Governor

5.       who has dinners with influential Politicians

6.       who have an audience with the POTUS.

There you have it (albeit shakily). Trump and I are linked with only four intermediaries (he must be thrilled) which puts only five links between myself and Kim Jong Un.

This theory of our interconnected world is called the Six Degrees of Separation. Arguably, there are holes in it, like the impossibility of being connected to remote tribes on forgotten islands who reject communication with the Outside World. But, hypotheticals aside, ours is a remarkably connected world, broadening the scope of influence we give and receive.

Through these chains of influence, you have a greater impact on the world than you might realize. Strangers might be affected by your testimony, making it more important than ever for us to live Spirit-filled lives. People who are impacted by a word of encouragement or a living testimony rarely keep it entirely to themselves. They tell their friends about “that person in Wal-Mart” who paid their bill or about the lady who traded seats on the plane and took the one in the back. They post encouraging quotes on social media. The world needs positive voices of Christian influence. 

The flip-side, of course, is that we are equally as likely to be a negative force in the world through compromise and sin.

Together, let’s form a chain of faithfulness that leads many to victory.

 On another note, according to this theory, you are connected to me in some way. You must be thrilled.