By Lance Padua Sarquilla
July 31, 2024
Listen to this post.
I begin with a story, my own story, because I believe it’s the primal way we interact with the world, one another, and God.
Learning to be alone seems to be a lesson that never ends for me. Whenever I’m on its path, I wonder who I’ll find at the end. Will it be the same goofy kid? The struggling Christian? Now I don’t like being alone, but in my story, I’ve found myself there often. I’ve imagined and dreamed about all the lives I never had, the person I wish I were. And when I finally catch my breath again, I usually ask, “Where did I go wrong?” Until one evening, beside a crackling fire, a simple question posed by a stranger stirred something deep within me. I could feel the words being tattooed on my body. The stranger asked, “What do you think God says about you?”
I am enough. The very thing Adam and Eve failed to believe about themselves.
This short anecdote comes from my storytelling platform called FreeLance. In this project, I encouraged friends, family, and even strangers to contribute their personal stories by pondering a specific question, “Where do you find your freedom?” One aspect of FreeLance involved a communal journal where individuals drew maps, depicting the journeys they faced on their way to experiencing freedom. Some shared recipes, symbolizing how sharing a meal with others brings life. Others filled pages with drawings when words fell short of capturing their freedom. Each person who courageously shared their story offered a glimpse into what freedom could look like in this life. What it could mean to feel alive.
Each person who courageously shared their story offered a glimpse into what freedom could look like in this life.
Be an Illuminator
In How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, David Brooks, a New York Times Opinion columnist, alludes to the idea of being an illuminator, a vision of what I hope FreeLance will be. Illuminators bring the transcendent spark out of people. With their persistent curiosity, ability to connect authentically, and gift for listening, they illuminate the hidden depths of those around them and bring out the best in those they encounter. Their genuine interest in others makes people feel valued, seen, and respected, leaving a trail of brightness in their wake. In a world that can feel dark and disconnected, illuminators lead others to shine like the stars in the sky, reminding us of all the beauty and power of human connection. The novelist Frederick Buechner wrote in Telling Secrets: A Memoir,
Maybe nothing is more important than that we keep track, you and I, of these stories of who we are and where we have come from, and the people we have met along the way because it is precisely through these stories in all their particularity, as I have long believed and often said, that God makes himself known to each of us most powerfully and personally. If this is true, it means that to lose track of our stories is to be profoundly impoverished not only humanly but also spiritually.
As a follower of Christ, one of the greatest callings of our faith is to see others the way Jesus did. Jesus, in my opinion, is and continues to be the greatest illuminator. Let us remember that Jesus looked beyond societal labels and judgments. He looked at the hearts of individuals, recognizing their worth.
As Christians, we are called to approach others as Jesus did with the Samaritan woman and the man possessed by Legion. What a miracle that the Samaritan woman’s testimony, despite her past, led a whole village to Christ (John 4:1–42). How remarkable that Legion, once an outcast, a wild man who lived by the tombs, transformed into a powerful messenger of the gospel (Mark 5:1–20).
each person carries a story, a narrative that suggests the futures we hope for and imagine, and it is our duty to listen and illuminate them
These stories share a common thread—Jesus truly saw them. He saw them the same way you and I hunger to be seen. He saw their struggles, their pain, and their longing for redemption. He saw their humanity and dignity. Therefore, let us remember that each person carries a story, a narrative that suggests the futures we hope for and imagine, and it is our duty to listen and illuminate them.
Participating in Creation
Sarah Mosher, the Assistant Professor of Costume Design and Technology at Baylor University, writes, “If we are created in the image of the Creator then the act of creating is our highest calling.” Mosher’s words beautifully capture the essence of what FreeLance means to me. As an immigrant to the United States, I didn’t always have a chance to express my creativity to the world; I was too busy assimilating. But after countless years of discovering and losing myself, and doing it over and over, I eventually found my way to how Mosher sees the world. If we are reflections of a divine creator, then our creative visions are indeed sacred gifts. Every stroke of a paintbrush, each written word, and all forms of artistic expression reflect our innermost selves. Thus, FreeLance is my participation in creation.
I yearn to gain a deeper and more authentic perspective on what freedom truly signifies in one’s life.
One creative approach in this project involves an action-reflection method for video and audio formats. Beyond just blogging and publishing a story through FreeLance, I aspire to live firsthand alongside these narratives. Picture me being out in the water with surfers, experiencing the thrill and patience of riding a wave. Afterward, we’ll take the time to sit down and reflect upon what surfing really means to them. I’ll also spend time in studios with musicians, experiencing how different melodies, rhythms, and lyrics come together to craft a song. While they record their music, I’ll record what brings them to life. By immersing myself in these various experiences, such as surfing or the creative process of music, I yearn to gain a deeper and more authentic perspective on what freedom truly signifies in one’s life.
I invite you to continue exploring the depths of your own story and the stories of others. Connect with me through my newsletter to keep up with the FreeLance community where we journey on a shared quest around a question of freedom. Together, we can delve deeper into the narratives that shape us and embrace the transformative power of storytelling.
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Lance Sarquilla, founder of FreeLance
Lance Sarquilla is an undergraduate student at Seattle Pacific University, double majoring in Christian theology and psychology. He is a first-generation college student originally from Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Lance is deeply fascinated by the ways we interact with “story.” He believes it’s the primal way we interact with the world, one another, and God. Looking towards the future, Lance hopes to take steps professionally and creatively to compose a multimedia platform named FreeLance, which is rooted in one crucial question, “Where do you find your freedom?” Lance is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024, and then, he will pursue a master’s degree in Christian ministry at Seattle Pacific Seminary.
