Showers
An exhausting Saturday but worth it in so many ways. This was a full day conference called "Integrate" with the goal of integrating our Christian life with the day-to-day realities of our jobs in the workplace. It was organized by one of the ministries of the church I attend in Shanghai (SCF).
In many ways this reminded me of the Global Leadership Summit, an annual event held every November on being a leader in the marketplace. I made a reference on the blog as that event being like the oxygen mask opening up on the airplane.
Integrate was pretty much the same thing. Two keynote speakers talking about the relevance of faith in the business world and the purpose of business itself. Lots of social networking and mingling mixed in with great meals. Followed by live music and a freestyle rap by yours truly - my reputation in Shanghai is growing :)
The venue was an abandoned warehouse turned into an art gallery along Suzhou Creek in the north of the city. Quite appropriate!
Even so, a volley of fresh new insights and ways of thinking about life has left me exhausted. There's enough new material to last for months, if not years, and suddenly I find myself feeling very stupid - for thinking I knew so much about the meaning of life and work when in fact I know very little. But maybe that was the point, to leave with a feeling of humiliation and encouragement at the same time.
This conference is going to change the way I see work, not as a curse to be avoided or done grudgingly until retiremement. But instead, an expression of the image of God in us and a reflection of his creation mandate. Big stuff, for sure, but somehow I'll figure it out.
At any rate I'm now thinking twice about my grand plan to quit Shanghai and stop working after a couple years. Maybe I'll stay awhile.
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