It's Not About Me

"South Florida is mean."

I hear that from people all the time. Of course, there is an element of truth to it, or people wouldn't say it so often. When Amber and I moved to Jupiter in 2001 from Gainesville, we had serious culture shock...and Amber grew up here! It took us several years to grow roots; to find relationships that mattered and connected us deeper than a job or family could. Now we have people around us that have grown to love this place and see the beauty that's really here. But it takes some work...and some dying to yourself.

Musicians and athletes have been a big part of my life. It's easy to pick out the superstars, but as I get older I find myself gravitating towards the ones who are more than their talent. I watched a concert by Donovan Frankenreiter last night. For the encore he said to the crowd, "Let's have a party on stage!" Instead of the normal "bust out a last song and then leave the stage" routine, the concert ended with a mass of people singing, giving him hugs and taking photos. This is not normal for typical prima donna musicians. That dude just exudes life...and it's contagious.

I think the key to changing an atmosphere of "meanness" is to choose to love. To really love, I have to give up my agenda. I can't be a prima donna. It's not about me. Making that choice seems so simple, but it can be so hard. Part of our desire for Pro Co is that it becomes a community where love can be expressed through our art and lives. I think if we're serious - and willing to die to ourselves a bit - we can spread some love around and have a lot of fun in the process!

Telling a Story

“Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society, rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive that it gathers all the bits of our past and our present into a coherent whole, one that even shines some light into our future so that we can take the next step…If you want to change a society, then you have to tell an alternative story.” - Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich

All art tells a story. Pro Co (our little abbreviation for "proskyneo collective", which is really hard to type), is asking - What story are we telling with our art? This goes far beyond questions of aesthetic or even talent. You can be a great artist and tell a destructive story, but you can also be a mediocre artist and tell a great story. We want to be good and tell a good story, of course, but if we want our art to make a difference - to bring change to those who hear it or see it - then having the right story is critical.

As a follower of Jesus, the story I try to tell is one of redemption, healing, and ultimately resurrection. History tells us that we're all pretty much doomed. Isn't that evident enough by looking at the world around us? But we can tell an alternative story where the ending is not determined by history or statistical trends. Our story is filled with unlikely heroes and heroines that overcome in the face of tremendous opposition. True peace and justice in the world is going to come through people like that - people like us - who live out that story.

About the proskyneō collective

The Proskyneō Collective is a network of musicians, artists, worshippers, misfits, poets, dreamers, writers, and friends. Our primary concern is discovering ways to demonstrate the beauty of God in the world through our art, our action, and our lives. Proskyneō – a greek word for worship – literally means ‘to kiss one’s hand in reverence’. We believe worship is more than singing songs in church; it is a multi-faceted expression of God’s people to give love and honor towards our Creator.