Living at the intersection of Our joy, skill and Concerns

Recently I came across the work of Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. She is a marine biologist and climate expert, whose work, writing and speaking seek to change the narrative around climate change and help people find their way to meaningful actions.  Her 2022 TED Talk, “How to Find Joy in Climate Action” has helped to widen her influence for sure. You can watch it here.

In her TED talk, and in other parts of her work, she offers a simple Venn diagram to help people locate their own unique contribution to climate action. The three circles contain questions:  “What are you good at?” “What work needs doing?” “What brings you joy?” And she suggests that where those three things overlap is the focal point for action.

She says that, “The opportunity is to do things that you love and that are part of the climate solutions we need…If we can find meaningful ways to contribute to the problems we face, it just feels good.” She also counsels people to, “Be at the center of the diagram as much of your life as you can.” (1)

(Above diagram from her website at https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/climatevenn)

Whether we are thinking about climate action or something else that we might want to impact, I find this framework useful in its simplicity.

When I read her Venn diagram, it made me think about a quote from one of my favorite theologians, Dr. Howard Thurman. Thurman said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

So I might ask us to pause for a moment here and reflect on something (a situation, an injustice or something related to climate action) that we want to impact somehow. That might be the “what work needs doing?” question.

Next maybe we think about the question, “What are you good at?” What skills do you have that you can bring to bear on this world? Can you cook, knit, or communicate well? Do you have skills related to finance, grassroots organizing, or gardening? Are you trained in any specific field of study?

And then, perhaps, we reflect on what brings us joy. Maybe it is related to some of what we do or are trained in, but maybe it’s not.

But when we put it all together, perhaps we get something like this:

What do you want to impact: I want to impact food insecurity. 

What skills do you have: I am good at bringing people together and have a lot of friends.

What do you love to do: I love watching movies. 

The intersection: Maybe I could host a movie night where we watch a movie related to hunger  and invite people I know to help raise money for a local food pantry.

I know that life is not always that simple. But sometimes it is.

In today’s gospel, we have a very short but profound reading (from Luke 21) where Jesus and his disciples are in the temple. “When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.“

There’s a lot to this reading, but part of it is the simplicity of her offering and the heartfelt nature of it. It is not always the grand effort that is the most significant but, rather, the one that moves us and the needle forward somehow.

As we reflect on so much in this world that needs our attention, maybe we can sit with Dr. Johnson’s 3 focused questions that might lead us to the intersection of our concerns, our joy and our skills.

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/briefing/climate-action.html