It was an interesting presentation. The name on the cover was singularly mine. Others, three to be specific, had provided their inputs and voice on how the message could be delivered. Their priceless input, along with the reflection of others that cared, made the presentation more than it otherwise would have been. The audience cared about the subject. There were interested and engaged. They wanted to express their perspective.
As the presentation began and unfolded, I was an interested spectator that was involved yet not. It was as if I was watching the process. When I felt points should be made, I would write notes to myself. Others would notice and lift them off the page and into the conversation. They spoke as if they were speaking in my shoes and with my voice. My words were alive because of their voice, their commitment.
Whatever I might have thought going in, the outcome was different. It was a good presentation. The key points were made and heard. The engagement was there and we moved forward. To my knowledge, there were no negatives. It was more than I expected. It was also more than I alone could have delivered.
As I walked away I found myself seeing my role in my life differently. There is little that I hold close to my heart that is unique. Others, God included, embrace compassion, community, and commitment. Others are giving birth to these values in the present. It is a community open to anyone willing to be a part of it. We choose. In exercising our freedom we also choose to more. Said another way, “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s.” (1 John 4.17)
I see my role differently after the presentation. It is not less. It is more.
