The Connection Is Strong With Star Wars

So. I saw the new Star Wars movie last night.

::Internal screaming::

::External screaming:: 

Okay. No spoilers. No gushing. No sobbing. I promise.

BUT SERIOUSLY. YOU NEED TO GO SEE THIS MOVIE.

Okay. I'm done.

I got the chance to see the new movie with some of my favorite people. We showed up at the theater at 6 pm (6 hours before our showing) and sat on the floor and ate food, played card games, and tried to keep the circulation in our legs going (You try sitting on cold tile for six hours and then laugh at me).

Now, don't get me wrong. The movie was good. The people were amazing. The food was good. But my favorite part about that premiere was watching people connect.

There were a lot of people at that theater (The line went through the whole lobby and outside into the parking lot). The people there had different religious beliefs, backgrounds, political opinions, different favorite Star Wars movies, etc.

But none of that mattered. Because the only thing that mattered was the common love of the Star Wars franchise.

I watched people introduce themselves to strangers so they could compliment them on their Storm Trooper outfits. I saw a woman walk all the way across the lobby to share a laugh with another woman who was wearing the same Chewbacca Hoodie.

And it was just fun.

For once people weren't trying to cram their beliefs down other people's throats. They weren't talking about Donald Trump or what's going on over in Syria. For six hours last night, we were all just nerds there to fangirl about one of our favorite franchises.

And it was amazing.

It wasn't until we sat down in our seats in the theater when I realized something.

It is so easy for us to focus on our differences, the things we don't agree on, how different we all are, etc. And lately, after watching all of the junk on the news, I think that's all we are choosing to focus on. We focus on our different political beliefs and different religious beliefs and we quit focusing on the fact that we are all in the exact same boat. 

We are all human. Clumsy, messed up humans trying our best to figure life out. Yeah. We may be in different phases of life and come from completely different backgrounds. But we are all struggling with something, sometimes with very similar things.

And sitting in line watching people connect with people over Star Wars last night reminded of that. I got to spend 6 hours watching people forget how different we all are and focus on their common adoration for Hans Solo and R2D2.

That made me kind of sad when I woke up this morning. Because I love that connection. I love seeing how one common love can bring all kinds of people together. But it made me realize how much I want to carry that connection with people even beyond the movie theater.

If I see someone wearing an R2D2 shirt, I'm going to go and talk with them. Yeah. That might be a bit weird and I'll probably make a fool of myself. But that 2 minutes of connecting with a complete stranger is totally worth it.

I want to start focusing on the things that we all have in common, whether that be a love for Star Wars or the fact that the Barista at Starbucks and I both have blonde hair. We live in a world that is constantly being torn apart by our differences. And I'm getting tired of choosing to focus on that.

I'm not saying that this will cure all of our problems. But that connection, no matter how small, can make a difference in one person's life. And sometimes, that is everything. 

The connection was strong with Star Wars. And I'm going to choose to carry that connection with me. And I'm kind of hoping you do the same.

May the Connection be with you.
Kimberly

P.S. Sorry, not sorry, for the Star Wars jokes.

The Importance of Christian Communication

It is said that only five percent of Americans are ready, and willing, to command the public platform. That means that the other ninety-five percent have to listen to that five percent. As Christians, it is vital that we are a part of that five percent that is ready to command the platform.

In an article called, It Doesn’t Matter What You Know If You Can’t Communicate By George Ambler, he states, “Communication has been central to the ‘social process’ of all great leaders.” When we look back at the leaders of history, you will notice that all of them were exceptional speakers. They connected with their audience. Their message was crystal clear. They were able to inspire, to motivate, to persuade. Men like Pericles of ancient Athens, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King Jr. And also men like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin. These men were initially known for their communication skills, many of them long before they came to power. They used their communication skills to share their ideas, to further their cause. For Pericles, his communication skills helped rally the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War. Winston Churchill was able to keep Britain to keep their hopes up during the Blitzkrieg in World War II. For others, such as Hitler, his communications skills started the bloodiest and most destructive war in history, World War II. Joseph Stalin jump started the murders of almost 700,000 Russians during The Great Purge in the 1930s by communicating his ideas.

You cannot look at these men and the roles that their public speaking skills played, and not say that being able to communicate isn’t important. What if Martin Luther King Jr. hadn’t been able to express his heart and inspire thousands of people during his infamous “I Have A Dream” speech? What if Adolf Hitler hadn’t been able to communicate his “Final Solution” for World War II to the Germans? Communication is key in shaping lives and the course of history.

I once watched a debate between a Christian and an Atheist on the topic of the existence of God. Throughout the course of the debate, it became pretty clear which man was a better speaker. The Christian speaker had some good points. However, he mumbled, had almost no eye contact, and didn’t really connect with his audience. The Atheist, on the other hand, was a very smooth speaker. He communicated his thoughts well, incorporated humor, and was very conversational, so he connected with the audience easily.

As the debate progressed, I became more and more frustrated. How many people who watched this debate would side with the Atheist? Not because he was right, but simply because he got his points across to an audience that was engaged?

I walked away from watching that debate with a new mindset. As Christians, we cannot afford to be bad communicators. We have the most important message in the world: The message of Jesus Christ. The message that the Creator of the universe wants a relationship with us, so He can meet our deepest needs. And this message not only impacts people now, but for eternity. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” How are we to do this if we can’t communicate effectively? Everyone should be able to communicate. But it is essential for Christians to be able to communicate effectively. Lee Iacocca, an American businessman, once said, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.” Jesus left us with an incredible message. And we need to be able to communicate that message clearly.

But how can we become better communicators? For starters, we can study great speakers, get training and mentoring, and finally by practicing. 

One of the ways that I am doing this is by being involved with The Institute for Cultural Communicators or ICC. ICC is a Christian organization that teaches communication and leadership skills to students between the ages of six and eighteen.

I have been involved in ICC for five years now. I started off learning communication in ICC’s local chapter program, where, in a safe environment, students work together on their communication and leadership skills. It was here that I worked through the Young Speakers Guild, the communication curriculum ICC offers, and served in many leadership positions. This year I am applying to be a Touring Intern with ICC. That means that, if I get selected, I will spend five months training and traveling the country teaching students communication and leadership skills at conferences.  

Learning how to communicate isn’t easy. I’ve been scared. I’ve made mistakes. And there have been times I wanted to quit.  But I think back to that Christian Vs. Atheist debate and I rediscover all over again how important it is to be able to communicate well. I want to help people do this hard thing. So they can be able to share the reason for the hope that they have. And be able to do it well.

I have found that The Institute for Cultural Communicators is very effective in mentoring and training Christians to speak clearly, to connect to their audience, to inspire, to motivate, to persuade. For more information, you can visit ICC's website: Iccinc.org.

Only five percent of Americans are ready to speak. What if that five percent was filled with Christians who could talk about their faith and share a message of hope. Being able to get up and communicate that message isn’t for our benefit. It’s for the benefit of those who listen. In one of my favorite songs by Elevation Worship, they sing, “We are the change the world is waiting for. We've got a love the world is desperate for. We will lead and take to your streets.” In the book of Mark, one of the last things Jesus says to his disciples is, “...’Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” Communication is essential in being able to do that.

::sips coffee::

Kimberly