This reflection was written by Marc Potvin, for this week’s Wingèd Ox, a weekly news digest distributed to the college community. You will find reflections from previous weeks here.

Over the years I have had the great fortune of meeting a myriad of people. I encountered some for only a few moments and I came to know others over a longer period. All have played a part in shaping the person I am today. Through their words, actions, presences, demeanours, personality, they have helped me reflect on who I was, who I aspire to be, and most importantly, they have helped me understand and connect with God.

Many will never know the influence they have had on me. Even negative encounters have been formative. These have taught me resilience, forgiveness, and allowed me to delve deep inside my soul to discover where my emotions and thoughts over the negative situation came from.

There are times when I have met or watched others whom, I must confess, I envied. They were much better at something than I was, even though I tried to improve. They were so natural. Over time I realised that the natural was just it. They were gifted while I was not and that was okay. I could continue to seek to improve, but I would never be them. They could never be me.

Over the years, I also realized that my encounter with other, however brief it may have been, also helped to shape them. I am always humbled when someone approaches me to inform me that I made a difference in their lives and how.

This should not be so surprizing. Our lives are interconnected in ways we may never fully comprehend. We may not even notice that others are shaping who we are while they are doing so and that we are shaping them too – although sometimes we do know this is happening.

In the end, perhaps this is a component of Wisdom the Bible writers so often refer to. God has placed us where we need to be, with the people we need to encounter, and with the people who need us.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever (Psalm 111: 10 NRSV).”

Marc Potvin