Above all else

A group of friends and I started a bread distribution initiative for rental block residents in our neighbourhood about 12-15 years ago.  We started simply because we wanted our group to be more outward than inward looking, and one of us had connections to procure bread at good prices, and another one among us lived next to one of those blocks. We decided that this wouldn't be a one-off feel-good initiative. It wasn't about distributing the bread. It was about caring for people. So we committed to doing this once a month, and to get to know the residents as people, and not beneficiaries. Over the years, the work evolved. Some more people joined in, others dropped off, but we never ran out of people to keep going. When the haze was terrible, we distributed masks. When Covid broke out, we also distributed masks! Then when we couldn't visit at all during the circuit breaker, we sent care packages via FoodPanda.  Over time, we also started to spend more time with selected househ...

I was at a work offsite recently, and one of the warm-up exercises was to share what are our key relationships, why we come to work, and what we would like to get better at.  I've spent years in a weekly faith community setting with a small group of people, and my whole faith is built on the premise that *I am completely flawed and yet incredibly loved*. So I am quite used to sharing my faults with others, and how I'd like to get better, with no need to censor myself.  One of the things I shared at the offsite was - I've always wondered if I really fit in the group. It often feels like I need to learn how to put on a cloak of some sort so that I look and behave more like a corporate leader, and take on more of a slick, corporate persona (or as Barney Stinson would say, "SUIT UP!".  It was a great encouragement to hear from a few of my colleagues later on - yup, you *are* different from the rest of us. But that doesn't mean you don't *belong*. Your *differe...