September 7th, 2008

September 7th, 2008

Today, I've come to a realization. While at theWELL (my church) this morning, I came to the conclusion that I am living two parallel lives, or at least, I am experiencing two different paradigms that have been, thus far, fairly consistently parallel (meaning that they have not come together to meet each other).

These two parallel lives, or paradigms exist in my ministry, if you want to call it a ministry, as the Community Liaison at theWELL. This position requires that I, along with the Community Team of the theWELL, be the go-between for theWELL (everyone involved) and the community at large (Manhattan and surrounding area). I, and the team I lead, am in charge of finding ways in which we can help those around us, those who cannot help themselves, and then provide a way for theWELL to provide any help we can. To oversimplify and institutionalize it, I am the lead of the 'community outreach committee'.

To continue with my original thought, these parallel paradigms involving theWELL are these:

Paradigm number one -- There are needs that I see, and that others on my team see. There are also ways that we (theWELL) can fairly simply and easily meet these needs. The Community Team provides the avenue by which the people of theWELL can help, and as a result, things around us get better.

Paradigm number two -- There are ways in which the people of theWELL can help to fill needs of the community around them. Because these needs don't exist in their lives, and don't affect their daily living, they ignore these needs and consequently the avenue by which they can fairly simply and easily meet those needs. The community around us remains unchanged and nothing gets better.

When I am out talking with those people who are already out in the community helping those who cannot help themselves, I am living out of paradigm number one. But when I am at theWELL Sunday mornings, or at the leadership meetings, or hanging out with people from theWELL, I find myself pulled down into paradigm number two. It's discouraging. And what's even more discouraging, when I look at my efforts, and I really examine what I'm doing, I find that I, more often than not, carry a paradigm number two outlook.

How is anything ever going to change when there is such a dense layer of apathy surrounding everyone, including me. God, I need your help.