Thoughts while Traveling

There is a line from RENT that I think about from time to time. Roger refers to Mark as longing for a community of his own. I really connect with that. That may be why I've always wanted to play Mark- one of the reasons anyway. One of the blessings of God bringing us to Norfolk/Va Beach/Regent/Regent Theatre- is that He brought us to a community of our own. I hope that doesn't offend anyone. If it does, I'm sorry; if it doesn't, great; if you don't see why it would, even better. There is a lot of growth that is happening because we are spending time in a community that embodies our passions and is made up of people surveying the same horizon. Sometimes different parts of the horizon- but that's how it works. Anyway, it's just been really refreshing.
Last friday night, six of us went out after rehearsal. Anna was the only XX chromosome present, but she was no stranger to that given our QP3 days.
We started talking over the noise and ended up having a really good discussion about how it all fits together and how things are related: our calling, our art, our faith, our witness, our relationships, our purpose, our pitfalls, our dangers, our accountability... well, we had a lengthy discussion. And we all have come from different places and have different experiences and different struggles and different scars and different perspectives- but that's one of the things that I am learning (because at times it can be so frustrating) to love about The Body. Christ died for all out of love for all- so the more of "all" we come to understand, the better equipped we will be to effectively minister to them in time. We talked about how we really should be learning how to form relationships with nonbelievers and communicate with those that some Christians are afraid to address- because our field, the theatre, is largely full of "queers, sluts, druggies, and atheists." Not to mention full of people who enjoy spelling theatre with the pretentious english "re" ending rather than the red-blooded american "er" ending.
Our friend Frank hit the nail on the head by pointing out that in order to be effective- we must be different. There must be something so different about us that it would compel others to ask. This really pinged my radar. For crying out loud, I was in a band that got its very namesake from 1 Peter 3:15- but I missed a KEY part of the verse. Be prepared to give an answer when PEOPLE ASK you the reason for the hope that you have! Someone asking you involves an existing question- meaning that they don't understand. This implies that we are living in such a way that it is PUZZLING, MIND-BOGGLING, INCOMPREHENSIBLE to the average onlooker that they are so compelled to ask you about your hope!
Due to recent events within the department and happenings in the current show that I won't go into here, the conversation dabbled a bit on our difference stemming from what we won't do, or what we abstain from to set us apart. But something tells me that it extends so much further than that! Because some of those things don't make you different. That will not be what sets you apart to the point that a peer will be so dumb-founded that he or she MUST know exactly what the hell is going on. So what will?
The theatre is a very "me" oriented realm. MY role, MY blocking, MY costume better make ME look good, MY time on stage, MY star on the door, MY billing, MY order in the curtain call, don't step on MY lines, don't drop MY cues, what's MY motivation, don't upstage ME, MY part is too small, MY, MY, MY, ME, ME, ME. It goes on. Now some of these are functional. You do have a role to play and therefore your lines are important and you will need to focus on your part. But the problem is that we are such "me" oriented creatures, that which is necessary spills over into the over-indulgent. This is theatre. So what about us will be different?
Of course, we find the example in Christ. What comes to mind is, I feel, one of the most profound lessons Jesus ever taught- the washing of the feet. That single act gave such an overwhelming example of what an attitude of love should be. The Christ, the Son of God, the purest and greatest of all carrying out a servant's task. And the disciples were beside themselves. It was weird. It was unnerving. It was unheard of. Why? Because it goes against every strand of humanity within us. It is the nails across the chalkboard of the flesh. SERVE!
Do we want to truly stand out as performers? Let's not be divas. We'll be servants. THAT'S what's unheard of now. THAT will stick out. THAT will leave your peers dumb-founded. THAT will compel others to ask you about the hope that you have.
And it could be worldwide.
Imagine what the aftermath would be of leagues upon leagues of millions upon billions of people suddenly disinterested in the "self."
Imagine how unnerved the unbelieving population would feel to suddenly find that their feet were being washed by "those dumb christians"... and they seem to be enjoying it.
Imagine if evangelism became less of going out into the field, and more about fielding questions.