Angus Nelson

The Justice League of America, do you remember them?

They were the heroes of my childhood… I’d get up Saturday Morning and turn zombie as I became consumed in the adventures of the Green Lantern, Wonder Twins, and Flash.  The beginnings of all of our blockbuster movies of today were a tad shy of the graphic imagery and CGI today…  I didn’t care, I loved them anyway.

Everyone of us has dreamed of a hero in our lives at some point and time.  It seems to be in our nature, an inert longing for the one to save us

in a time of need.

At the same time, we’ve all had very natural heroes. Normal, decent folk that pulled our cat out of a tree, jump-started our car on a cold night,

or held us tight saying everything’s gonna be alright.

What’s more important to recognize is that you can a hero too.

Everywhere you go, anytime you pay attention, you will see opportunity to think less of yourself to meet the need of another.  It could be opening a door for someone, taking time to listen, or bringing a smile from a sad situation.

We all have the choice to step out of our inward, selfish world and into the lives of hurting humanity.  We can serve those around us and make a difference.  The real question is, what will you choose?

Actions speak louder than words…  don’t tell me what you believe, show me.

This concept is at heart of our conversation last night.  What if the Renown philosophy became the cultural norm?  What if we set the pace, led the way, inspired a movement for people to take action to influence our community?  What if we learned to step outside of our selfish natures and instead, chose to serve the people around us?

Do you have the courage?

If not, what will it take to get you to the point of taking action?

I was watching football this weekend and somehow I was conscious of the advertisements.  This is not something I’ve never noticed before, just particularly obvious.

They’re LOUD.  They’re random. They’re sometimes even obnoxious.

“F.R.E.E that spells free, credit report dot com, baby!”

Marketing and messaging can be clever and cute too.

Whatever it is, these companies want to make it MEMORABLE.  Good or bad, ad agencies want you to remember their product or service.

How do we turn what we’re doing at Renown into something worth talking about?  Not just you and me talking about it…  but the public, the media, the average joe?

That’s what we’re need to tap into…  what do you think?

Last night, we discussed the way we all love to share our experiences with others…  whether that be a good or bad, we share about a movie, restaurant, or friend.  For better or worse, there’s something in most of us that desire our story to be shared.

When the internet transformed itself from a static, point & click environment to an interactive exchange of thoughts, ideas and contribution, the world became a different place.

Around the world, millions of people blog, post pictures, share videos, forward cute emails (some just annoying), exchange texts, find friends, and in all, create relationship through a virtual world.  Albeit, much of this surreal interaction is very impersonal…  after all, much of what is posted via web is actually rant and disclosure of intimate experience, a break up, a lost job, a dream, a fear, and the list goes on.

Why is that?

I believe God designed us all for relationship.  We were made to interact and when we don’t, we feel isolated, disconnected and alone.  Maybe that’s where so many people are at.

When Jesus proclaim that we should “go into all the world” it wasn’t as literal as some have made it.  In other words, you don’t need a passport or boarding pass to reach people.  In this day and age, you can simply post a Youtube video from your laptop and all of a sudden, thousands and thousand of people connect with what you’re saying.

What if your part to play is actually as simple as JOINING THE CONVERSATION?

Could it be that using of technology in the Web 2.0 world is actually a heavenly invitation to transfer the focus on yourself to the needs and interests of others?

There are more and more appeals from culture and political avenues seeking the public sector to meet the needs of Americans.  Whether it’s the victims of the recent natural disasters or local impoverished sectors of communities, it’s the people of these places that are making a difference.

Rehabilitating prisoners, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, repairing destroyed homes, and giving lives value and worth are much better served by faith-based organizations and non-profits.

If that’s true, than what part can each of us play?  What part will you play?

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

The Institute for Southern Studies

Department of Labor