you don’t know what you don’t know
Most of us know what we don’t know. We’re aware of the fact that some information about the universe escapes us. We’re fully aware that we don’t know which countries border Tajikistan. We know we aren’t sure how to build a television. And we’re certain we don’t know much about modern rutabaga farming.
But, what are we unaware of that we don’t know we’re not aware of? 
A recent article in the NY Times covered the story (among other things) of a not-so-bright bank robber who covered his face in lemon juice, believing that it would disguise him from the security cameras.
The surveillance tapes were key to his arrest. There he is with a gun, standing in front of a teller demanding money. Yet, when arrested, Wheeler was completely disbelieving. “But I wore the juice,” he said.
It begs the question for us in leadership and in ministry, What do we not know that we don’t know? And, how will our blind spots be made known to us? Evidently, the “juiced” bank robber had to make a few insanely stupid choices based on erroneous camouflaging information that resulted in his arrest [read "crisis"]. I’m not sure (then again, how would I know?) I’m all that different.
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Incidentally, Tajikistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, China to the east. Tajikistan also lies adjacent to Pakistan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajikistan.
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