Desire

On Easter Sunday, the church was packed like I had never seen it before. Families filled every crevice of the church. Easter lilies were everywhere. Unfortunately, I was distracted noticing little things that I wished were different so that it would make it more engaging for people who weren’t regulars. If the song selection was better, the cantor was a little louder, or if the chairs were comfier, maybe, just maybe they’d come back next Sunday. I just wanted to seize the moment, capture the opportunity, win one for the Gipper. While any of my nitpicky judgements might have added something to an already wonderful celebration, it wouldn’t have made a difference for those I wanted to capture. As a leader, sometimes I want to control not only the strategies, but people’s hearts and desire. I want to make them want to believe in the vision, the idea, me, or the Lord. Often, I fail to realize that the invitation is where my role ends. As the Holy Father says, “the Lord wants to be sought among the living.” We can’t create desire, but we can model it. Ultimately, what will capture the interest of a potential seeker is not my observation about a cantor, but rather the seeker’s observation of my life, throughout the whole year, and how it “announces the Easter message” or maybe leaves something else to be desired.