c. 1998 Religion News Service

(Tom Ehrich is a pastor, writer and software developer living in Winston-Salem, N.C.)

UNDATED _ Ignoring Voltaire’s epic answer”Cur non? (“Why not?”), let’s ask a few”why”questions:

Why do antitrust watchers wave like distracted customs agents as American corporations pass into the hands of German, Japanese, British and Scottish buyers, but scour e-dustbins for e-mail that will sink Microsoft Corp.’s e-ship?

Why do members of Congress pounce like hungry gossip-mongers as various independent counsels relentlessly pursue their assigned prey, but pack for home as Social Security edges toward bankruptcy?

Why do schoolchildren know to the minute when classes will end for Christmas break, but have no idea why November 11 was a no-school day or why December 7 stirred some headlines?

Why do we care about wealthy dabblers and the exceptionally tall men who bounce basketballs for them, but ignore massive layoffs spreading real economic distress among the populace?

It isn’t laziness. No one would accuse Kenneth Starr or the Microsoft-chasers of lacking zeal.

It’s seeing small vs. seeing large. It’s tackling the matter close at hand but ignoring the broader scope of events.

We seem trapped in a culture of small thinking. Our new heroes are those laser-like people who can focus extraordinary energy on small targets. We ignore those who see the whole and want to make specific decisions in light of the whole _ too vague, too gloomy, too difficult to understand.

I’m reminded of the local newspaper reporter whose idea of investigative reporting is to probe deeply into public records _ which can be assembled readily and viewed while seated _ but stops well short of venturing out the door. Watergate-journalism is fun not only because it brings down the mighty, but because it can be done close to home, without mussing one’s hair.

The future, of course, belongs to those who do see the whole.

The Justice Department is delusional if it thinks Bill Gates became the world’s richest man by conspiring to steal competitors’ treasure. While WordPerfect Corp. was fussing about licenses and Lotus Development Corp. was designing ever-cuter icons for its 1-2-3 toolbar, Microsoft saw the whole: office suites, Internet commerce and data storage, computers as easy-to-use appliances, professional certification and giving away (yes, giving away) technical expertise.

But small thinkers win applause and gain power in the short run. That’s why the basketball coach gets paid more than the guidance counselor, and hardly anyone sees the larger decline in meaningful knowledge, problem-solving capability and academic self-confidence.

We reward the laser-sharp gladiators who close big deals, but don’t notice that markets are soft, offshore production is shoddy, shippers can’t deliver on time, morale is low, and the global economy isn’t a playground.

We join the fussing over Monica, Bill and Ken, but fail to see the cumulative impact of out-of-control prosecutors, the surging meanness of American politics, and the resulting absence of truly qualified leaders.

In the religious world, we argue about marriage rules and who stars in the Christmas pageant, but don’t see that the evangelist Luke told his story by setting the broadest possible context for those events in Bethlehem. This was a creation epic, not a commentary on singing angels or inhospitable innkeepers.

Yes, we live in the specifics. Life happens in the day-to-day. Smelling the roses does matter. But we also live on a broad stage and are subject to broad sweeps of powerful historical forces. A German automaker’s acquisition of Chrysler is more than adding”Daimler”to dealership signs. It’s a sea-change _ maybe good, maybe not so good, but hardly to be ignored as we scurry for Furbys.

Colossus-building bankers like Charlotte’s Hugh McColl look like conquering heroes _ and maybe they are _ but what exactly does the new era of bank consolidations mean for mortgages, fees, minority employment and competitive rates? Who’s minding our pension plans?

As Marshall McLuhan saw long ago, a small screen produces a small vision. But the dilemma goes deeper. Seeing the whole takes knowledge. That, I think, is where we keep coming up short.

We know how to spend money, but not how the money supply works, so the few who do understand such large matters have power. We know we want cup-holders in our minivans, but the radical reshaping of an industry merely confuses us.

DEA END EHRICH