A letter from Charlotte Blackburn in Indonesia
May 2012
You start a conversation you can't even finish it
You're talkin' a lot, but you're not sayin' anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?
(Talking Heads)
At the PC(USA) Gathering in Bali, 2012, we learned how to present our "stories" to others. In other words, how can we effectively share what we are doing?
Mission co-workers visit churches toward the end of each contracted term to share what we do. Many of us consider this to be a blessing—we love to talk about what we do. Some of the challenges for me include not GUSHING all over the place about the awesome things I see God doing in my life, in my workplace and with my students, as well as in the lives of my friends.
The challenge for all of us is that we are being asked to verbalize something in a time-sensitive manner that is very emotional, very Spirit-led, and often defies the confines of language. In other words, a Calling. We must verbalize how we actively respond to the voice of God. Briefly. That can be a little tricky, to say the least.
It’s easy to get distracted by the “proper methods” we’re supposed to employ to communicate well...no “ums” or awkward pauses, clarity of vision expression, tonal awareness, etc. I was reminded of what I tell my students—communication is about expressing yourself clearly, but most important, it’s about being REAL and true to YOUR personality. Participating in this training, I was reminded of an instance in my early years, specifically my senior year of high school.
I’ve always had an overdeveloped sense of justice; maybe it’s the Scots-Irish heritage known for fairness, but I’ve always wanted to save the world, for as long as I can remember. The animals from the hunters, the forests from the developers, the whales from the whalers...SAVE THE WORLD! Ha. Well. As a high schooler discerning the appropriate path for my future with a little travel and language under my belt, I thought the military to be worth consideration. Recruiters came to my house to present their spiels and I really looked forward to the recruiter for the Marines. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of “the few, the proud”? And what about “Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful)—why not?
My excitement was, unfortunately, short-lived. A tall, robotic, aseptic man came into our house, sat on our fluffy feather-couch couch with velvet upholstery and seemed less human than the first model Terminator.
That pretty much did it for me. I wanted a person. A human. I needed to feel a relationship and ask off-the-wall questions. He had well-formed perfect answers for everything I asked him...too perfect. Rather weird.
Needless to say, I decided not to enter the Marines, but the lesson, as I’ve been reminded this week, is that to engage and inspire people, we need to show our humanity. We need to be more than talking heads with perfect answers and sound bites that “pop.”
This is especially true for mission co-workers. People want to know us, who we are, and they want to be able to feel our humanity—our struggles, our concerns, and certainly our triumphs through the grace of God, and our accomplishments as well. And to be honest, I want to talk about it. I love to share what I do. Being here to live, learn and serve is a great blessing for me. I look forward to sharing my story...in a very personal, human and well-communicated way.
I still love the Marines. Some of my very favorite human beings in this world were once Marines. It apparently wasn’t in God’s plan for me to become one, but I’ve never lost my love and respect for them.
As mission co-workers, we need to maintain the same kind of reputation and respectability that sustains love for us, and in addition, we have to be able to communicate in a way that inspires, builds deeper relationships, and doesn’t seem to be canned language. Following a Call is not a marketable product. It is beautiful, it is valuable, and it is a powerful inspiration to share with others.
I’m thankful for training. Any opportunity to learn, to grow, to expand my mind; I’m ready. I’d like you all to know that I am available to answer any questions you may have about my work here, my dreams, goals and challenges. Please join me on Facebook, follow my blog www.charlotteinjogja.blogspot.com or email me charlotte.blackburn@pcusa.org.
May God bless you and keep you...and may we always feel the power and the peace of His Grace.
Charlotte
The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 189
blog: www.charlotteinjogja.blogspot.com
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