- Chapter Three Barry Newton – In a Room Full of People, But...
When I was asked to write a chapter for this book, I knew what I wanted to write about straight away. While Steve Adams and Dave Wakerley argued over who would write about ‘Creative forms of Worship’ I was already structuring the following chapter in my mind. While the boys were debating the pros and cons of Chinese silk versus Egyptian cotton in their flag waving section my points were forming, the word count was soaring and the font was locked in. Why? It’s simple... This is something I know a thing or two about. I’ve been there, done that, bought the hoodie and uploaded an instagram. I know this topic inside and out and I’ll tell you why. This is a topic that I have lived for many years and I’m convinced I’m not the only one. The enemy whispers in my ear and tries to convince me that I’m the only one struggling with it, and again I’m convinced he whispers in more ears than just one clown.
I believe that as Christians, we need to connect with each other. This may seem like an obvious statement but I think we often get it wrong. I would suggest that we all too easily allow ourselves to get isolated from those we serve with and those we need to ‘do life’ with. When it comes to kids ministry, we are artists, no two ways about it. We sit on the same stage as painters, musicians, actors, comedians and any other colour that squeezes into the artist spectrum. The similarities between us and other artists are very confronting when we look at our tendency to isolate ourselves from our peers. History and modern day is brimming with examples of the isolated artist. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most brilliant minds ever to draw a breath. He changed the course of many fields of science and art. His mind was so alert and focussed that his personal notebook was written in ‘mirror form’. That is, written right to left and backward so his notes could only be read while looking at them in a mirror. Da Vinci led a full, busy and tragically, an extremely lonely life. With no real friends and shallow relationships, Leonardo is often referred to as the ‘Lonely Artist’. Charlie Chaplin (one of my personal favorites) referred to himself often as lonely. His on screen persona advertised what was so often buried in his soul. Regular times of solitude were a staple in his life and again, no real connections are noted in the life of this comic genius. More contemporary examples reveal the same patterns. ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Johnny Depp lives a reclusive life and by his own admission ‘sits alone a lot’ and doesn’t enjoy the company of others. Jim Carey describes a depression that stemmed from isolating himself from his peers. Sometimes, due to our area of ministry, we are given an ‘artistic license’. Kids ministers are allowed to be a little ‘unique’, it’s often expected and sometimes encouraged to have weird habits, sing funny songs and work late hours. Don’t get me wrong, I own a Super Soaker that will knock your eye out, play the Ukulele and have pulled more than my fair share of allnighters but I can tell you that in my life, due to the uniqueness of what we do, I found it very easy to become isolated. We are unique breed and because of this we face unique struggles and pressures and we must be very careful not to face that battle by ourselves.