If you could talk to the world right now
Photo taken by Christine Smith at Laity Lodge a few years back.
I've had more opportunities to stand in front of a microphone than most. With all the opportunities, I'm not sure I've ever done it especially well. I far prefer to share a give-and-take conversation or in printed words we exchange back and forth. Still, there are times I've been invited to speak: everything from sales training sessions to church group testimonies to that time I was a television news anchorwoman in fifth grade. (It's true. I promise.)
The question I'm asking this week could be read a couple of different ways. On any given day, we each have topics churning around in our brain. Like: I'm wondering if anyone else watched old episodes of the West Wing last night instead of the first presidential debate? I have some opinions on that subject, for damn sure.
I'm also pondering and praying on many thoughts about how we in the Church address race issues in the United States. I occasionally blurt stuff out on social media on this subject, and continue to be humbled by my lack of understanding on the complexities of the subject.
I'd like to shout a few lines of glee out into the world about watching autumn in New England unfold bit by bit each day. And that I have a fat, ripe spaghetti squash sitting on my kitchen counter, waiting for me to skillfully address it with a fresh tomato sauce.
This week's conversation prompt could be answered by any of these subjects. And each day my social media archive reminds me a whole plethora of topics I've needed to get off my chest to whomever is listening on the other side of my keyboard. Millions of you are doing the same.
I'd rather talk this week, though, about the essence of your message into the world. If you could sum up what most interests you, what subject you value the most to speak into the world, what would that sound like? What words would you choose? If some cosmic microphone rose up from the floor right in front of you this moment, and you knew you had the world's attention, what would you want to say? (Let's pretend you'd be perfectly eloquent and not terrified at all for this scenario, ok?)
If the words had to be uniquely yours, what ones would you choose? Now, I feel rather strongly that I'd be compelled to include a few lines of poetry. I guess that's allowed for this little hypothetical scenario. But the bulk of the words, the tone, the subject, the motivation and meaning must come from you.
What would you say?
Here's how I answered the question on the Facebook post this morning:
“I would try to say concisely that we are all recipients of the good gift of life, but that we spoil the gift when we consume it solely for our own purposes and ideals. That we need each other collectively to live from our truest selves (which I believe we can only finally discover through the lens of a redeeming Christ as sent by our Creator God). Every single failure, oppressive system, offense, handicap, shortcoming, flaw and frailty that stops us from accessing the good gift of our own true selves for the sake of living a life for others can be transformed into a Spirit-energized force for good.”
Maybe your words would be more topical? Maybe you've walked through life with a gigantic Issue affecting everything you do or experience; an issue that you wish the world understood through your viewpoint? That would be good for us to hear. Or maybe, like me, it's a collection of things summed up under a specific category of experience? Maybe you'd add a few jokes or a multi-media presentation?
What would you want us to understand better because we listened to your words?
I'm listening.
