I wonder where the line between a positive approach to life and a negative one is drawn and why.
For many the church is a ‘can’t do’ kind of place. There always seems to be someone who’s tried it before, without success obviously. I wonder why no-one ever says ‘we tried that 10 years ago but maybe the time wasn’t right then. Let’s try it again!’.
I often find myself in the role of the ‘that won’t work’ guy, not through choice but I spend a lot of my time managing projects and events. We often have to way up cost or difficulty against what we really want to do. It’s never an easy balance and I hate having to tell people that they can’t do something. I want to be a ‘can do’ person.
I was at Hamilton Presbytery of the Church of Scotland last night to tell them about Nexus, a massive event I’m working on in August. Lots of people said it wasn’t possible for the church to stage a 3 day event in the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre but we are. We’re also hosting a children’s event and a worship event, each for 3,000 people in the Clyde Auditorium. It was great to be able to stand up last night and say ‘CAN DO!!!’.
Father Elias Chacour says positive is just as powerful as negative………….it just depends on what we focus on.
I would never have marked you as a ‘can’t do’ person. You’re always very positive and encourage people to give something a go and see how it pans out. Always tinged with realism and experience, to be fair, but never downright negative. I think you’re doing yourself a dis-service.
Maybe Nexus is ambitious, but I think the church, especially the CofS, needs events like that to show that it’s still around and relevant.
Thanks John. I guess in my work I meet lots of ‘that will never work’ people. I’m never sure why that should be. After all with a little faith all things are possible.
Maybe it’s a thinking outside the box problem – certainly a lot of people I encounter can’t think outside their own experience and situation so when an ‘outsider’ (for want of a better word) comes along with an idea they immediately react in the negative. Frustrating, yes, but I suppose with faith comes broad shoulders for coping with the criticism and battling on in spite of it! I’ve never really understood the ‘that’ll never work’ type of person but like you find them everywhere! Hmm, that sounds extremely negative and I don’t mean it that way. Maybe just a bit battle weary just now!!