I AM The Problem

Recently, I watched the documentary I AM by Director Tom Shadyac (of Ace Ventura and Bruce Almighty). Actually, to be truthful, my wife made me watch it.

It’s inspired me in something I have been considering for a long time – to ask more questions of people on how to impact the world for the better. In fact, Tom’s overarching goal with this film is to search for answers to two questions:

1. What’s wrong with the world, and;
2. What we (you and I) can do about it?

Seems simple right?! Not so fast. When you really think about it (and as the documentary does a pretty good job of asking some really smart people), most of the time it’s not others that are at the root of the issue. It’s ourselves. Our fears, our selfishness, our lack of action, or sometimes even our actions.

However…

There is hope. Our connectedness to one another is key. Our innate desire to be in community and be connected has the power to root out our selfishness and make things that weren’t possible alone, possible. I think there is more to this equation. I think that the underlying reason for our connectedness is God. He put it there for a reason. I think that’s why so many people like Tom (and myself) are so unsatisfied when they reach what the world identifies as important and go searching for something more. He put in our soul the desire to be more than wealthy, to be more than our titles, to be more than famous. He put the desire for community, for impact, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

That’s not an accident. Alone, I am the problem. But in community (and faith)….well that’s a whole different story.