I rarely, if ever, talk about religion on this blog, largely because I’ve never felt compelled to do so but also because I have so much respect for all religions and wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.
But there was something that Fr. Fragomeni said today at the exquisite, Italian Catholic church I attend that was built by Italian immigrants downtown Chicago one hundred years ago, that got me thinking about leadership.
You see, today is Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter, and we celebrate the “birthday of the Church.” This is the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit being “breathed into” the Apostles, so that from within them came the courage and fortitude to share their beliefs. To share a new vision.
What’s remarkable about the story is how they were then able to immediately begin to embark on their own leadership mission in a way that every single person present understood what they were saying. Suddenly, they were able to communicate to each individual in the language that each individual understood. As Fr. Fragomeni put it, “They shared a language of love.”
What Does This Mean for Us as Leaders?
Listening to this story today simply inspired me to feel even more strongly about the importance for all of us as leaders to connect with that spirit within us – not a religious spirit per se – but that passion within us to share a mission that is greater than ourselves and to change the world with it.
But here is our challenge: we are not blessed with the power to speak in languages that all understand. Even those of us who speak a few languages do not speak all of them, and the reality is that even a simple conversation between two people in the same language can be perceived differently by both.
Our Choices
We can bemoan the suffocating challenges we face in the world today, or we can choose to act. We can choose to:
- Connect with our inner passion
- Determine how we’ll use that passion to change the world for the better
- Find the fortitude within ourselves to actually do it
- Start telling others about our mission in ways they can understand
Will you join me?
~
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Photo is Red Heart by that one doood.
7 Response Comments
Hi Lisa,
Must have been a good day for homilies/sermons. Our message was about how the Church has been the longest running institution and there fore one of the longest tellers of stories – based on faith – in the history of the world. Glad your message was equally as wonderful!
Pam,
Yes – how wonderful for all of us! I love the message about story telling; it’s so true that it’s how we all relate to each other over time and is more relevant for us today than ever. Honored that you took the time to read and to comment, Pam! Hope your weekend was magnificent in every way.
I really like the implications of this post, Lisa. I think it’s a shame that it’s so hard to talk about religion online because it offers such a rich landscape in which we can talk about issues like this. That’s coming from someone who is “unaffiliated” too 🙂
I think that there are probably lots of ways that we do connect with other people and we just don’t notice. For example, you and I talked for awhile before we found out we could connect via our mutual love of history. It took getting to know each other. It took time. But now when we converse we know that we both speak that language and are enmeshed in that kind of subject matter.
So what else are we missing due to inattentiveness or lack of attention? Kind of a scary thought, non?
Thanks, Margie – I appreciate your recognition that it is a rich landscape and often so hard to talk about. It’s funny because in person with people I *love* talking politics and religion because they are the foundation of so much in our lives.
And yes, what you’re asking is not only scary but a bit overwhelming when you think about it. It first involves taking down our protective walls so that the “real us” is standing there, and then having the courage to share ourselves with others, knowing that we might not be accepted just the way we are. Add to that the inattentiveness you brought into the mix and our language of love gets so sadly muddled…
One person at a time, yes? Thanks as always, Margie – your support means so much to me!
Hi there Lisa Petrilli!! …. thanks for the “breath” of fresh love/insight my friend! http://www.twitvid.com/KEZP9
Cate,
You are so sweet and I loved this comment! What really struck me was how you talked about allowing others to breathe that spirit into you, and how sometimes you speak the language of love with others who you really haven’t gotten to know but, “you just know.” You are very much a woman of trust and connection and love and you inspire me! Thank you for this gift of yourself, it means so much! Hugs and all the best…