Today I was privileged to perform
at 2 interesting events. The first was all staged. It was planned in a hurry as
I was invited to play at the 11th hour. I arrived early enough to
watch what usually happens at ‘these events’. The conversations in the room were
not positive. The stage was beautifully set and well branded and top of the
range sound equipment. The audience was very small at the time of my arrival
which signalled to me that we would be here for a while. About 3 hours passed
in this state and suddenly people arrived in their different church regalia.
They were ferried in by buses. Meanwhile a bit of action seemed to be taking
place on stage with a few speeches here and there and some entertainment. When
one church would sing the other booed and vice versa; the irony!
Alas, the ‘guests of honour’
finally arrive with their entourage, who could have filled the room themselves.
Everyone rushed to the door with zeal and excitement. The change in atmosphere
left me flummoxed. Suddenly we were celebrating, ululating and gyrating all
over the place. Cameras suddenly appeared and the ‘show’ had started. I could
not believe my eyes. What a facade!
Fortunately or unfortunately I
had to leave (without playing) for my next commitment which was an interesting contrast.
It was a much smaller event at an old people’s home. The speeches left people
in tears, were so heartfelt and genuine. The Mayor’s address (who I assume was
the guest of honour) was very honest as he highlighted the plight of pensions
and the general state of affairs and his wish that things would be different.
Honesty is pleasant for me, regardless of whether it is positive or negative
because if you can at least acknowledge that you are in a mess, then you can do
something about it. The setting was intimate but serene. When I sang, I saw
faces that have different stories to tell, lighting up and reliving those
memories through the songs. With old people, as with children, there is no
pretence, pure honesty. One old gentleman came up to me and commended me for my
singing and afterwards randomly asked if I did any photography to which I said
no. He then told me how he used to work for the Zimbabwe government as a
photographer and did a lot of aerial photography. He said he would capture the
moments from the air, and then he smiled and walked off. Random...I thought!
As I reflected on my day and
wondered what this all meant, it was all revealed to me. Do not live a life of
false pretences. Create beautiful moments constantly and capture them, because at
some point in your life, that is all you will have. Be honest and real with
people. Hero worship will get us nowhere. No man is God. Shift from trying to
win people to trying to win God. Giving is worship, whether it’s your time,
your money or whatever is valuable to you. John Maxwell says that our
leadership must be about something much bigger than us. All leadership must
bring honour to God, serve and benefit others, and utilise the gifts of each
team member to their fullest potential. Do not live a life devoid of a divine
perspective.
