To impress or to be impressive

NO matter how fine and tricky the distinction between the

two, the effort to know the difference and to act accordingly is all

worthwhile. Yes, there is a lot of difference when whoever does some

public intervention gets to be impressive without intending to impress

the people.

            There is grace, a certain charisma, that undefinable

X-factor involved when one is impressive in whatever performance one

may do in public. But when one acts to impress the people, everyone

gets to know it also, both the performer and the audience. Everyone

gets to know the artificiality involved.

            A person who is impressive in public actuations usually

does not mind how people react to his performance. He just delivers it

from the heart, with unquestionable authenticity. He is not so much

concerned with ratings as with being faithful and true to his mission.

            He is even willing to be unpopular, if things have to come

to that point. He may even be bumbling and awkward in his performance

but the authenticity of his actuations simply shows. And that’s what

people will always perceive.

            Of course, things also depend on the people. If they have

good will, then they can see things objectively. If not, no matter how

anointed and faithful God’s minister may be in his ministry, he will

not be impressive to them. In fact, they will always find fault in

him.

            This has happened to Christ himself. To those with simple

hearts and open minds, those with good will, they immediately were

impressed and amazed at Christ’s words. They perceived a certain

spirit of authority that they did not see in the leading Jews at that

time. But to those with closed minds and complicated hearts, Christ

was always an object of suspicion. They saw nothing in him except

faults.

            But when one is driven in his public interventions by the

motive of simply impressing others, he already suffers a big handicap.

And this is made worse when he possesses certain talents that can

mesmerize people. The audience may applaud him, but for sure any seed

sown in these interventions, any message or lesson given, will not

take deep roots.

            We need to see to it that in our public discourses, we be

guided by a clear and pure intention of glorifying God and truly

serving the needs of the people. For this, we have to rectify our

intention often, since it can easily be swayed away by some ulterior

motives.

            We need to see to it that these public discourses,

irrespective of how mundane the topics and issues involved are, are

seen as an encounter with no one else than God himself. They are

occasions to have a dialogue with God before it is a mere discourse

with the people.

            Of course, we have to prepare ourselves adequately in the

technical aspects of these discourses. But we should see to it that we

do not get swallowed up by the technicalities. Our main focus should

be God and our main motive is to glorify him. Everything else that we

consider important to us will just follow as a consequence.

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