Recap: The Greatest Story Ever Told

Ending the year with gratitude, perspective, and a look at what is ahead

This has been a year for sharing and seeing what conversation can do. The exchanges that followed have been the real payoff, from the thoughtful discussions on the CIO forum with EDUCAUSE to the steady back-and-forth with colleagues across the University System of Georgia. Writing has clarified the pressures and created room for honest talk about what matters, what works, and what remains unclear. I have also become more aware of the stage of life I am in, and of how much I was shaped by people who chose to share their experience. This space is my attempt to do the same.

I will be on leave through January 5. New articles and podcasts will return that week. The first set is already lined up and aims at some of the hard issues that continue to be on my mind. January will feature pieces like “Silence is the Killer: The Cascade of Consequences in ERP Design,” “The Queue Time is the Killer,” and “The Real Internet Emerged after the Fall: What the Boom Got Wrong.” Each of these explores how institutional life, digital culture, and leadership practice continue to evolve.

As I sign off for the year, I want to share something personal that has shaped my own thinking. Every Christmas, Gail and I rewatch a PBS series on the historical Jesus. It brings together leading scholars of the 200 BCE to 200 CE period, including faculty from the University of Texas, Duke, Boston University, Harvard, and others. Their work cuts through layers of interpretation and brings the history of the period into focus. If you worship within the Christian tradition, the series offers a deeper understanding of how Christianity formed and spread. If you do not, the story still matters. It shows how Roman occupation, early religious movements, and unresolved social and cultural tensions shaped the world we inherited. It is one of the most important introductions to a history that continues to influence our present.

The second part of the documentary is also on YouTube and can be found here.

Thank you for reading, for engaging, and for thinking with me this year. For me, it remains an honor and a pleasure to facilitate these discussions. See you in January.