The pool of a thousand asses...

I was wishing I was back there today.  Back in our friend's pool in Florida and not in the pool we found ourselves in, this afternoon, in Vancouver.

It was a community pool, and a nice one at that.

But it was filled with the hairs of a thousand asses.

"Eeeww!  Gross!"

Exactly.

Niki and I kept looking at each other in disbelief, wondering why--exactly--we were there, immersing ourselves in water so chemical-treated (and for good reason) you could smell it five hundred feet outside the building.

"Is this really good for us?"

"Why are we doing this?"

"Why are all these people here?"

And then it hit me.

These people are all here--mostly naked in front of dozens and dozens of strangers--because they enjoy being in the company of other human beings.  That's right.  We like each other.  And no, we weren't talking to each other that much--just a casual 'Hello' here or there--but you had to admit that all them folk wouldn't have been there if they didn't want to be there...

(I mean, they could've just stayed home and had a shower, if it was just about water...)

Naked in the company of strangers.

Just like at the movies.  Just like at Church.

Of course we're clothed at AMC or at 1st Baptist, but the hope is to be able to disrobe emotionally or spiritually, is it not?  

We want our emotions laid bare by a story that's so great, so immersive, so escapist, so true and moving and powerful it changes us.  That's what we're looking forward to at the movies or in front of the TV or listening to music or at the symphony or theater.

Church is the same deal.  We want our soul exposed.  We want to experience a deep emotion, a clarion call, a moment that reminds us why we're alive and what our life's supposed to be about.

And we go to the movies and we go to Church together.

It's just not as fun alone.

Remember that in your work and in your Church and with your art.  The thing you do (even if you're just a middle manager at your average company...) at some level is about bringing people together, and people like to be brought together.

So, do it.

Make movies for date night and guys night and girls night and family day.  Design your Church service for Mom and Dad and the kids and the teens and the old folk.  Build your company in such a way that the people you work with love coming to work and love doing what they do...

Together.

'Cause if we can mix our butt hairs, fo' dang sure, we can share our art and our faith.

Right?

T