Sunday, September 18, 2011

Embracing a Position of Influence

Have you ever experienced a feeling of overwhelming discontent about an injustice in which the solution seems impossible to attain?   What did you do about it?  Did it motivate you to the point of taking action to ensure its resolve?

Richard Curtis, an accomplished movie producer and screenwriter has taken the opportunity to utilize his gifts and abilities as a film creator to capture a rare look into a world that for so many never knew existed.  For Richard, the devastating plague of poverty that continues to grow throughout the world is the overwhelming discontent that has driven him to use his position of influence in a way that will attempt to establish change.   

In an interview led by Bill Hybels, Richard expressed this feeling of absolute discontent when he visited the nation of Ethiopia for the first time.  He said “after seeing that, it is hard not to change your life.”  And so he did.  From that point on, Richard was determined to make movies that would help to rectify the injustice; movies that would communicate poverty as the reality that it is.   

Reflecting on this interview I’m struck by Richard’s passion to make a difference.  He was quoted as saying, “I’ll ruthlessly do what I do to rectify this injustice.”  What would happen if we all had the same attitude towards making a significant change in this world?

 As a pastor, I recognize the influence that I have is a responsibility given to me by God.  I’m not to take this responsibility for granted, but to use it in a way that will reflect the desires of His heart. There is a sense I have of feeling extremely accountable for this position.  However, I view it as a honor and a privilege.

 This a clip of Richards work.  He took advantage of his cameras ability to capture reality.


3 comments:

  1. Fine work, Ryan. I like the backround too. If you add a followers widgit to your sidebar people can follow your blog. Following allows them to know when you've written somthing new.

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  2. Love the question you started with. I think the reason it can be hard to move from feeling discontent with injustice and doing something about it is that most people think they need to find a way to take on the world and do grand gestures to solve the problem. Unfortunately they get overwhelmed before they can even get started so they give up. What I like about the video you posted by Richard Curtis is that it's short and simple but gets the point across. I think there is a lot to be learned from that.

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