Being Visible

Given a choice, I'd much rather be there in the background than up front where everyone can see me. Ironic, isn't it? Especially since I'm a pastor. It's part of the job description to be where you can be seen.

Within our denomination, I've gotten a bit better at standing up for things I believe and making myself heard on particular issues. Still, I prefer to do it in small group settings. Speaking before hundreds of people continues to make my knees knock together in fear, but it's not the total impossibility it would have been 15 years ago.

Recently, I found myself involved in the local school bond election. Not particularly as a vocal proponent or opponent, but more in the interest of getting those on each side of the issue in the same room and talking with each other. There's something about a bond issue in this part of the country that leads to civic deafness. People seem to prefer to "Jerry Springer" their points and not particularly take the time to hear what's being said by those they disagree with.

The interfaith organization we got involved with after the hurricane decided to try something a bit different and attempt to get those involved in the bond election in the same room, with the intention of providing a forum for each to listen to the other. We held two forums this week, fairly controlled to keep grandstanding to a minimum and to avoid those in the audience who like to make speeches under the guise of "asking a question". The forums were planned to address specific issues of significance and to allow each side a limited opportunity to present their positions. Equity in the presentations was one of our objectives.

Somehow I ended up doing the welcoming and intros at each of them. Visible, but not too bad, since the number in attendance was fairly small. For me, it was an opportunity to hear concise information from both sides with only a limited amount of hype. Good fodder for decision-making. What was truly encouraging about both of these forums is that much common ground was discerned, and both sides were not only willing to admit it, but were willing to open themselves to hearing what the other had to say.

While the bond issue is not perfect and I probably would have approached several things differently if I had been a part of the process, on the balance, I find myself in support of approval. There's so much history which has been impeding the progress of the school district that much of the work which is being targeted in the bond proposal has been postponed for way too many years. To put things off longer by defeating the proposal would only make the costs great and the animosities even deeper within the community.

So, today I ended up being part of a press conference of a racially and religiously diverse Beaumont clergy in support of passing the bond proposal. Being one of two women present, I was on the first row of the "visual". (Never quite know what to do with my hands in those situations, but at least I wasn't picking my nose!)

Afterward, the camera crews were doing individual interviews. I'd done a really nice job of avoiding those until the end. One of the cameramen came up while I was talking with the head of the local Church of God in Christ (COGIC) association. Guess the visual of a male African-American pastor speaking with a Caucasian female pastor was irresistible.

Why is it when I get in front of a news camera my brain seems to shift into blubada-blubada-blubada mode? I'm not completely convinced I said anything which made any sense; however, my "this is an opportunity to move beyond the past and into the future" cliche, but truthful, statement ended up being the final sound-bite for that station's report. (We won't focus on the rest of the inanity that I'm sure surrounded those 13 words.)

Now I think I'm going to crawl back into my hole and pull it in after me. I've had enough being visible for a while!