LionCrash: Letter 1
Why I started a courage collective
Hello friends,
I read a book once called, “the Barbarian Way,” – it’s about taking risks. Actually, I overheard the book, on the bus on the way to a track meet. One of the boys on my team was reading it aloud to the rest.
The chapter was about wild animals.
“A tiger will defeat a lion in battle,” he read, “but five lions will defeat five tigers because the lions fight together and the tigers do not. Imagine what it would be like if tigers could learn how to move together, if tigers would choose to stand side by side and engage in battle as one tribe.”
He moved on to another illustration further down the page:
“Rhinos moving together at full speed are known as a crash. Even when they’re just hanging around and enjoying the watershed, they’re called a crash because of their potential. You’ve got to love that. That’s what happens when we…shake free of domestication and civility… we become an unstoppable force.”
The reader paused and looked up from the book.
“A crash of lions!” a voice from the back of the bus shouted.
A crash of lions.
So maybe that’s a silly phrase, but did it catch something up in your heart, too?
I want that – what that author was talking about. I want impact the world for good. I want to work hard towards a common goal, I want to be able to live with passion and mobilize others to do the same. I want to start a MOVEMENT!!!
*echoes off the mountainside*
So I just admitted that to myself.
Awkward.
And I just admitted it to you too.
Even more awkward.
Moving on. The next logical question is, how does somebody start a movement??
Well, they start with their tribe. Er, their crash, is how we shall now phrase it. (All of the other good catchwords have already been taken – band of brothers, tribes, comrades (ew that one was kind of ruined, wasn’t it?)
I strongly believe that God made to understand the world chiefly through stories and words. It is a gift – and it is all I have to offer.
Words are only a medium, they transfer of meaning from one person to the other – and often very, very imperfectly. They can mean one thing, or another, or both, or neither, or neither AND both at the same time… aagh so confusing!
But that’s the beauty of it. Any artist knows that one of the reasons art is so powerful is because it can translate ugly, imperfect things into beauty and meaning.
I admit, I’m kind of scared to do this, but I think it is important. I have a lot of stories building up inside…a lot of imperfect words. And, even though I feel I often don’t have what it takes to bless others, I know that I do. And I need to do something about it.
So. Here’s the deal. I’m going to publish a biweekly letter called “LionCrash: a courage collective”, an open-heart periodical that explores the meaning of courage and how it manifests itself in today’s world. I’ll be telling a lot of stories about people who inspire me, and I will talk about a lot of words, like crash, and how they mean so much more than the characters that spell them out.
I would love it if you followed along. You can read posts here on medium, or on the website, lioncrash.wordpress.com, where you can also subscribe fore the newsletter.
I think you might love it too.
And, if you want, can you mention this to a couple of friends who you think would enjoy it!
I’m not so good with technologythings so please forgive that as I work out how the signup system works…etc! Please know that I will always, ALWAYS feel very silly for trying to market myself, but in this case, I think it’s worth the embarrassment.
Love,
MJ
@lioncrash
http://lioncrash.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lioncrashcouragecollective
