National Presbyterian Church: Washington, D.C.

I was pleased to be invited to participate in the Summer Speaker Series at National Presbyterian Church this year. Other speakers in this wonderful series included Tremper Longman, Mark Labberton, Kerri Alexander, Erica Salkin, and many more. Their speakers’ archive is a treasure trove, well worth exploring.

I was assigned the topic “The Future of Friendship: Relationships After Pandemic and Civic Crisis.”

I spoke about C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, reminding listeners of the many ways they were different and explaining how they bridged the gap between them. In fact, the Inklings concluded that these differences were the foundation of their fruitful friendship. In other words, they were not friends in spite of their differences; they were friends because of these differences.

I also had a chance to challenge The Myth of the Solitary Genius and talk about some of the ways that innovators can do a better job of working together: praise, encouragement, accountability, challenge, suggestions, and practical help, among others.

You can watch the full presentation HERE:

One of the best parts of any speaking engagement is answering questions from those who attended. Here are two of the questions that were asked (and answered) during this presentation:

Do you have a group that encourages and supports you?

Do you have anyone who challenges you and your ideas on a regular basis?

And, as always, if you’d like to learn more about Lewis, Tolkien, and the Inklings, I would recommend either the book or audiobook of Bandersnatch: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings.