Take 30 - and a few locust

After Anaheim - Integrity Leadership Conference

That would be 30 minutes of your time to watch this extraordinary summary of the journey - the struggle - that we have been on this last decade.

Susan Russell, outgoing President and soon to be Canon of the Cathedral in the Diocese of Los Angeles, gave this summary at last month's Leadership Conference of IntegrityUSA.

Of course, the journey started long before that - even before Blessed Louie Crew launched the organization we've come to know and love called Integrity.

As I listened to Susan, I was reminded of a story of God as told by Olive Schreiner of South Africa.

A woman on a journey asks, "Why do I go to this far land where no one else has gone before? I am alone, utterly alone. My efforts seem so futile. Who am I to change anything, to make any kind of difference?"

A wise old one, who stood close by, bid her to be silent and to listen to what she heard. She listened intently and finally said, "I hear the sound of feet, of a thousand times ten thousand feet that beat their way."

The wise one said "They are the feet of those who shall follow you. Lead on. Go into the new land. Go directly to the water's edge. Where you stand now the ground will be beaten flat by thousands upon thousands feet."

She said, "How will I cross the stream?"

The wise one said, "Have you seen the locust how they cross the stream? First one comes down to the water's edge and it is swept away, an then another comes and another. At last with their bodies piled up, one on the other, a bridge is built that the rest pass over."

She said, "But, of those that came first, some are swept away and are heard of no more; their bodies do not even build a bridge."

“Yes,” the wise one responded, "Yes, and are swept away and are heard of no more. And, what of that?"

"And, what of that?" she echoed in amazement.

"They make a path to the water's edge." the wise one answered.

"And, over the bridge which shall be built of our bodies who will pass?", she asked.

The response of the wise one was: "The entire human race!"

And, the woman grasped her staff and turned down the path toward the water.

This is a story of God.

G'won. Click on the video of Susan's presentation. It may well be the best 30 minutes you spend today.

Who knows. You just may begin to understand yourself as one of those locust.

Because whether you know it or not, you, too, are part of the story of God.