You can stand or you can conduct
From the photo it looks like the guy in black, is standing listening to a female singer in a rather grand church. Looks however can be deceiving. The guy in black is actually the extraordinary talented Dr Patrick Walders conducting one of the soloists during Sunday nights performance, by the San Diego State University Chamber Choir, of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego.
Lets be honest, the photo is flat. All movement and energy has been removed. You can’t see the energy that the people at the event saw. You miss the fact that the conductor used his arms, his stance, his facial expressions and much more to help lead the soloist in her performance. The reality of being in the moment, being in the world was and is much different to what a snapshot could ever portray.
The picture made me think. In my Christian life and ministry am I an observer or a conductor? Do I stand by, steadfast in my faith, and watch the world and other people go about their lives all around me? Or am I a conductor that uses my faith and translates it into action, helping, guiding, teaching, witnessing and most importantly serving?
I hope the later.
What about you?
God for All 
For me, I might suggest the metaphor “co-creator”. It carries an imagery of being directly involved in our faith, in one another and in the world. I am sure a conductor “adds” their own “favor” to a “piece” but nevertheless it is not their “piece”. The “co-creator” has a partnership in the experience. You could say, we freely or abandonedly give our “selves” to the experience or said differently, we “incarnate” ourselves into the experience. The world is not a reality that we are passively involved but we have some “skin” in the world or a responsibility to “add” ourselves to the evolution of the world or reality. Great post!
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Richard: You are asking question! Good going! Now the hard part answering them. I know that I do not always say what needs to be said. Nor do I stand up and led when I should. Abba Anthony the Great said ,”Our life and our death is with our neighbor.If we gain our brother,we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ”. Now that is good leadership. A+ post
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