That strange magic...

Did you see it?

The best moment on The Grammy's?

What was it that made it stand out?  Why that moment in the midst of dozens?  'Course the reason we're asking is because we (preachers and filmmakers and ordinary people...) need to find the magic in the ordinary in order to keep doing what we do because with all we do we're looking to make...

Impact.

That's right.  We're looking to connect, trying to find a way to break through the noise of the everyday around us--and around everyone we meet--hoping to touch the inmost parts.

That's what it's all about, no?

That's why we say, "Get to the point..." or "Cut to the chase..." or "Well, the heart of the matter is..." or "What I'm really trying to say is..." or "What I meant to say was..."

We're trying to touch.

And that moment on The Grammy's was just that.  A touch-point.  A connection between artist(s) and audience.  That moment was a moment of strange magic--rooted in something bigger than us, outside us, some objective reality that some (most) call God--a moment where everyone's heart skipped a beat, everyone sat up straighter in their seat.

Magic.

That's what those of us who perform (whether from stage or for screen) for a living are tasked with doing.  That's why people keep coming to your Churches and paying for your movie tickets and watching your shows to spike them ratings to keep the advertisers paying.  They are looking to be touched by that strange magic.  They're looking to you for that touch.  They don't know how you do it, they just know that you do.

A whole World of thirsty people.

And for those of you who don't 'perform' for a living--you should be mindful of the fact that everyone performs.  That's why at work you have a yearly 'performance review'.  That's why you have board meetings and PTA meetings and tea with your friends once a week.  Everyone's checking in on everyone else in order to measure their performance against the other.

"How are they doing?  Gee' she's doing great, I better step up my game.  Phew, I'm doing alright compared to everyone else..."

Performance.

And if you can learn to wield that strange magic in your performances then you'll be a little further along the road to living a life that makes an impact.

Oh right, the performance.

T