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The most impactful moment, however, was the next day when a student placed a letter on my desk. The two-page letter offered a personal story and some gratitude, including this paragraph: “Yesterday I experienced something that I never imagined for myself. I celebrated my birthday in the high school auditorium, filled with a strong feeling of appreciation for everyone in my life. I can’t tell you exactly what you did to help me, and I can’t pinpoint the exact moment where everything shifted, but it did. Somehow I’m here, and somehow I know that you played a role in an elemental change in how I think.” I have a folder in a bag where I keep important letters I receive from students, and I still carry that bag with me every day. Today, that letter, along with others, rests there as a reminder that sincerity, patience, and sympathy always matter. Even if the impact isn’t immediate.
General Conference unveiled harsh procedural obstacles to change, and those realities highlight the necessity of institutional introspection. The gasps of delegates after the Judicial Council statement signaled the need for a level of self-examination that extends beyond hackneyed theological sound bites and Twitter wisdom. The hope is that, in the aftermath of General Conference 2012, we may have the clarity of vision to accept a fundamental truth: Our system will not change unless United Methodists believe with intentionality and enthusiasm that our structures and processes require transformation.
