Bucket list - check!
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My “Christmas in April” has come and gone. No, I didn’t do any great altruistic work like fixing a home or curing a disease. I’m saving that for next April. What I did do was celebrate the arts by seeing “Hamilton.”
Some of you might think “Hamilton” is a musical based on the life of the prolific United Methodist author, Adam Hamilton. Nope. That’s coming in 2020. The particular musical I saw was based on the life of the other prolific Hamilton, Alexander. Whew. Glad we got that cleared up.
And what a show! After mortgaging my home to get tickets, “Hamilton” did not disappoint. It was over two years ago that I bought the soundtrack (and wrote about it here). Just like the amount of time I spent playing my Monkees LP (don’t judge), I nearly wore out my "Hamilton" CD. The months of anticipation while waiting to experience the music live nearly overwhelmed me. Luckily, when the time came, I didn’t pass out. I was enthralled.
It’s no spoiler but Eliza, Hamilton’s long-suffering yet strong wife, ends up being the moral center of the musical.
Eliza Hamilton had every reason to be a bitter and vengeful person. Her husband cheated on her and wrote a very public document in his own defense about the affair. Her son was killed in a duel. Then, after forgiving Alexander, he too was killed in a duel. Her story could have been one of defeat but she decided that her “narrative” her “story” would be different. She helped build the Washington Monument, she was an outspoken abolitionist, and she established the first private orphanage in New York City. She gets the last and best words of the night: “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?”
Your church or organization should take note.
Who tells your story?
Your youth group
People who walk through the office doors
The people at your front desk
Your leadership
Anyone sitting in the pews
Kids in Sunday School
The AA, NA, GA groups who use your facility
All these people and more tell your story. But perhaps the more important discussion to have is: What story do you want others to tell about you? This isn’t about looking for a four-star Yelp review – though that would be nice. It’s about knowing who you are and why you are.
Know your story. Know the story you want others to tell about you. Then go boldly and live your story. You might not make a gazillion bucks off of it, but you just might inspire others to change the world. And that’s a payoff worth investing in.
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