You Are What You Answer To

Recognizing the gift and the calling can be an overwhelming thing

I was out in Chinatown, having lunch with one of my educational colleagues discussing a series of workshops we were planning for his students throughout the semester.

He told a joke, I responded with something snide. And he said, “OK, Minister.”

*cue the needle scratching across the record sound*

Uneasily, I said, “Dude, you know me. I am nobody’s minister.” And he put his fork down, turned to look me directly in the eyes, and replied, “That IS what you do, you know. You minister to these kids and they love you for it. Your ministry is the arts, not religion. That’s what you do.”

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minister (verb without object):

to give service, care, or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities.

to contribute, as to comfort or happiness.

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I have two companies: a for-profit creative services agency and a non-profit arts education foundation. They are named Creator’s Child Productions and Soul Sanctuary, respectively. These are names that I prayed and meditated on, worked out the numerological values for, and test-drove among a select few friends before I legally incorporated them…