Joe’s Journal: On Knowledge of the Spirit

“Only compassion can save — the wordless knowledge of my own responsibility for whatever is being done to the least of God’s children. This is knowledge of the spirit.”

— Peter F. Drucker

Peter Drucker had a complex background in theology and religion, an inclusive one, but also very complex. He was a “Kierkegaardian” and he never changed his mind. He’d say to pastors in the big mega-churches that he advised, “I wince when I hear you call yourself a Christian because that is something that we work toward, not something that we are.” I think much of Peter’s work was an extension of his pursuit of understanding and practicing the old idea of charity, of love. He was exhibiting personal responsibility. I think he believed that only human beings last and the only thing worth pouring your life into is humankind, and that is expression of knowledge of the spirit. He sought to work out the built-in conflicts in religion and Christianity in his work with organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. He had a robust sense of God’s activity in the world and that came down to personal responsibility, here and now. After going back over 20 years of his notes for my new book project, I was thrilled more than ever to have been associated with him. He was a good man.

–Joe Maciariello