Standing Together

"We wanted to come together, to stand together."

• Rev. Gregory Johnson
  

Standing Together

I surely did not know what to expect as I drove early in the morning to participate in a "Community Leadership Breakfast" last week. It was the first time I had ever heard of such a gathering, much less participate in one. I didn't even know who would be coming to the meeting with the exception of the people from my own company. So, when I arrived and walked into the building I began to search for seven or eight familiar faces in the crowd.

As I scanned the faces I could tell that these were people from all walks of life. This group was alive with people from different backgrounds and it really made me wonder what was going to take place. I don't know if you're like me, but I seem to spend a lot of time with people that are sort of from my "Tribe."

My Tribe, meaning they all seem to kind of look and act like me. They all have their "uniform" in that they dress in a similar fashion. They also tend to look at the world in the same way and do lots of the same things. I was in unfamiliar territory now.

Still, it wasn't long before I saw my group and joined them at our designated table. It felt like an island. We were surrounded by unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar place. It was our own little refuge in the midst of the unknown. Here we were, sitting in a community meeting encircled by people that didn't feel life our community.

When the meeting started, the Reverend Gregory Johnson, brightened the room with his beaming smile and warmth. He talked about the purpose for which we were there and I listened with welcoming ears. I also began to look at the faces throughout the room and began to notice a change. Heads were bobbing up and down as they agreed with the words coming from the podium.

Suddenly the room transformed before my very eyes. Now, I was sitting in a community meeting and seeing people who were seeking the same things and standing together in a great cause. These were strangers no more because we had made the determination to make our community, our state, and our nation a better place simply by coming together. Now I can see that we have everything in common and there is nothing we can't accomplish unless we choose not to.

We live in a time where there are many voices that keep telling us we're so different from each other. "We don't want the same things." I know now that these voices haven't been telling us the truth. I hope you'll join me in uniting with other people of faith, participate in our unity and involve yourself in creating a bright future for freedom, goodness and family.