The Merger Failed

The merger failed

One should read "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Tennyson and realize that this was a real event. Even today no one knows the blunder that brought the death of many to no known contribution to the purpose.

I add my thoughts as an addendum to "The Charge of the Light Brigade" spurred by Tennyson and a church experience in which a small church had been convinced to attempt a bold step to add resources to the task to enhance the purpose of reaching people with the good news of the grace of God. The little church stepped up to the charge, put its property on the line and charged forward.

The result was the loss of the building to the larger church that was to add resources - and the mission was threatened rather than expanded.

The merger failed!

What was the blunder?

What was its cause?

A dictate made too quickly?

By one who searched for victory and fame?

Without wise council sought?

Or had the powers ceased

To require the disciplines

 of council, intelligence, plan, and analysis

applied to well developed purpose?

Had the systems long in place,

Been set aside in haste,

Believing in the whim

Of the one commanding the charge?

And the one who spoke the words

“Charge for the guns!”

Did he stand back?

And watch?

And make heroes of those

Whose loss he caused?

A century and a half later

No one knows the blunder -

Or its cause!

 Nothing learned

From sacrifice of 600

and hundreds more.

I come to wonder,

Who, among we guilty,

Will be the one to investigate

The blunder and its cause?

Or shall the cause be left unknown

To dwell in some dark place,

To surface over and over

Blunder after blunder

Until the “Cause” is lost?

The merger failed

But
The Grace of God and Hope

Has not failed

Nor will it!

 

Billy Reese Masten

05/19/15