There was a young man, who loved the theatre and who aspired to make a name for himself on the world stage. He had toiled in the relative anonymity of the local and regional theatre for several years, where he had distinguished himself as a highly valuable member of the troupe. Beyond his genuine stage presence, he had demonstrated a talent for directing, designing and building sets, and even a knack for promotion. Though he had enjoyed these formative years, he felt ready to take the next step and so he arranged for an interview with the head of a prestigious, international theatre company. Because of this troupe’s prominence within theatre circles, the young man assumed that it would be difficult to obtain permission for such a meeting, but instead he found that his request was granted immediately and without condition. On his way to the interview, as he walked through the hallowed halls of the companies main offices, he pictured his name on the placards that hung immediately adjacent to each office door; and he couldn’t help but feel as though he’d finally arrived. When the receptionist led him into the office of the theatre company’s head man, he was duly impressed by both the office and the distinguished looking older gentleman who arose from behind a massive desk. After some brief introductions and pleasantries, they both sat down to talk.
“Well you certainly have a varied and impressive resume; I’m very interested to hear what has brought you here today.”
“I guess I’d like to begin by telling you what an honor it is to have this opportunity to speak to you. I have always admired your work and you have really been the inspiration for my love of the theatre. I would certainly consider any opportunity to work with you as a dream come true.”
“And is this why you’ve come today; for an opportunity to work with me?”
“Yes Sir, it is. As you can see from my extensive resume, I’ve been involved in many different aspects of the theatre and I’m sure that I could be an asset to your company as well.”
“I have no doubt that such a gifted man could indeed be an asset; but in what capacity is it that you envisioned providing such benefit?”
“Well, I guess if I’m honest, I’ve pictured myself as a sort of leading man; though I understand that I’d have to work my way into that spot.”
“I must commend you for your honesty, but as you probably already know, we have an established leading man, who I would consider to be irreplaceable.”
“I do understand that Sir, but maybe I could be his understudy. You know, just in case he can’t go on for some reason.”
“Well, in all my years, there’s never been a time that he couldn’t ‘go on’ as you put it. Maybe it would be more fruitful for us to consider something else.”
“I thought that might be the case, so as you can see from my resume, I also have a lot of experience as a director.”
“Indeed you do; but I’m sure that as someone who has followed my career, you’re aware of the fact that I personally direct all of our productions.”
“Yes sir, I did know that; but I thought that maybe we might work together; and who knows, one day you may want to hang up your director’s hat and I’d be ready to step right in for you.”
“To be honest with you, I can’t really picture myself ‘hanging up my director’s hat’, so maybe we should consider some other alternative.”
“I certainly understand sir, so maybe I could just start out with some set design. I’ve got a lot of valuable experience as a designer and a builder.”
“I’m sure that in the regional theatre there is much demand for such things, but this company has been established for such a long time that I can truly say that everything has already been designed and built. We simply rely on our stage hands to put things in their proper place. Thus, it seems doubtful that this would be the place for your diverse set of talents.”
Clearly disappointed, the young man continued, “Well, it’s not really my favorite job, but I have had a lot of success in promotions. I really knew how to pack them in back home.”
“I’ve no doubt that is true, but our productions are by special invitation only. Unless someone receives a personal invitation from me, they won’t know to come.”
Exasperated the young man whined, “Is there no place for me here?”
To which the older man brightly replied, “Of course there is a place for you.”
“We are always in need of extras for the stage or help with the lighting or you might even be used as an usher.”
An incredulous look swept over the young mans face as he exclaimed, “An extra!” “Lighting!” “An Usher?” “That is all you would offer a man of my experience?”
While the older man’s eyes remained full of compassion, his voice took on a deeper timber, as he explained, “As a man of the theatre, you should know the importance of how extras flavor a scene and bring it to life. Like salt in food, we may not always notice its presence, but we absolutely miss it when it’s not there. It is much the same with lighting, which is certainly an integral part of creating the tone and context for every scene. These elements are an essential part of pulling people into the story. And as for being an Usher; even when someone chooses to accept my invitation, there still needs to be someone to help them find their seat. While none of these may have been the role you picked for yourself, they are all a vital part of what we’re doing here.”
The young man hung his head in silence for a few moments before quietly saying, “I’m sorry sir, this just isn’t how I envisioned it.”
As he rose to leave, the older man stood to his feet as well, and extended his hand. As they shook hands, their eyes met and the older man said, “That’s a shame, because I was really looking forward to working with you.”
The young man left the building, greatly saddened by all that he had heard.
I felt like the Lord gave me this little story as a parable; where “the theatre” (in the broad context of the word) represents the knowledge of God, while the prestigious, international theatre company (specifically) represents the Kingdom of God and where the young man represents those who the Lord has gifted and called to His service. I sensed Him saying that while all have been given good gifts, and many have been called, few are willing to play the role that He’s cast them in.
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