Dead for the Lack of Daring

The words jumped off the plaque on the wall, stopped me in my tracks and forced me to think and to feel deeply.

"Unless we dream we shall never dare. Unless we dare, we shall never realize what we have dreamed."

These words of Ralph B. Rogers, the father of public broadcasting in Dallas, drive home a powerful truth--one that we must never forget as we work and live in the heart of the city.

Most of our failures today are the result of our failure to dare.

The status quo remains entrenched, not for a lack of intelligence, but because of our unwillingness to risk and to stretch beyond what's comfortable or generally accepted.

Reminds me of the scripture passage read in church last Sunday. Remember the story of Jesus walking across the Sea of Galilee and approaching the boat in which some of his followers were sailing?

Peter, the bold and impulsive one, asked if he could get out of the boat and walk to Jesus.

When Jesus replied, "Come on, then," Peter stepped out and walked. . .for a few steps. When he saw the waves and felt the wind, he began to sink. Jesus had to pull him out of the drink!

J. B. Phillips provides a great translation of Jesus' words to Peter after he had saved him from drowning: "What made you lose your nerve like that?"

The question is a good one, isn't it?

It is not enough to simply dream about change in the city.

It is insufficient to have a vision for public education that works for all of our children.

If all we do is discuss and draft great plans based on solid research about how to increase the availability and improve the quality of our workforce housing stock, we may as well pack it in.

You name the pressing urban issue--employment skills training, health care access and equity, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, the growing homelessness crisis, economic development, safety for our children, criminal activity, prison reform. . .the list is long and daunting.

And, dreams have their place.

Usually, though, we have dreams aplenty.

What we lack is daring.

Nothing, absolutely nothing that needs to change will change without a willingness to risk and to risk much.

If I am not willing to look like a fool in order to realize my dream, then I need to reconsider my dream, but even more importantly my soul, my heart. This is true for everyone claiming to care about our cities.

Here's a simple recipe for urban transformation no matter how challenging the city or the neighborhood.

Give me a group of people committed to one another.

Add to this commitment buy-in to a common vision.

Seal it all with a willingness to risk everything to realize the dream and I will show you world-changers and city-builders.

Ralph Rogers had it right.

The urban centers of America need men and women, teens and children who will step out and dare to do the impossible.

There is no other way.