Spotlight

In the church that went to the Carrington the home group we were in had a bizarre commencement ritual. It was called 'spotlight'. In this charade each week a group member was in the spotlight and had a couple of minutes to introduce themselves.

One could 'pass' and not reveal anything, but this would be almost impossible in a group of a few people in the rector's living room. No one did.

In fact, the reverse. As you know, we all love talking about ourselves, eventually, even if it's only just a trumpet blowing exercise. Of course, this was studiously avoided, unless one could blow the trumpets of humility or suffering. Some did.

The idea was to allow us to come to know each other. A good idea, but poor execution. One does not 'get to know' anyone by such artificial self-disclosure. Do you ever get to know the interviewee on Parkinson? No!

The exercise failed. Maybe it works in Anglican private school land, which is artificial in its entirety, but in the real world one comes to know people by the conversational progress of mutual disclosure as trust is built and the ground for relationship is formed.

This was a black mark event.