Gates with Purpose

This week marks the two-year anniversary of Connections2Excellence! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

This year of Connections2Excellence starts a new focus on ways to connect, and this year I chose to start with the theme of gates. So, throughout the next few weeks, I plan to post tidbits on different aspects of gates and how to connect them to our lives. On Faith Connection Fridays, the concept is connected to faith.

Gates are basically passageways from one place to another. A gate can be in the form of a simple fence gate, door, portal, or even an arch. Gates can be a means of security protecting something valued or precious (such as a gated community, a children’s institution, or the iron gates around the White House), or gates can be a symbol of triumphant victory (such as the Arc de Triomph in Paris).

How does a gate symbolize connecting to excellence? We think of a gate as opening, or connecting, one side to another, a point of entry to a place that could be viewed as revered, protected, or set off for a particular purpose. Gates are often utilized as symbols that we are entering a special place. We enter monument sites or museums to learn of one’s heritage or significant events. We enter parks to enjoy nature or participate in recreation. We enter places of worship to cause us to focus on the spiritual.

Each Monday in the coming weeks, we will dig a little deeper into a specific type or aspect of gates. We will see examples of them in our society and explore how they challenge us to make connections to excellence. Each Friday, we make a connection to excellence in our journey of faith.

Our Connections Challenge: As you travel or go throughout your daily activities, take notice of the various gates around you and why they are there. Identify their significance and what they protect—homes, families, and other treasures.

I also would love your input. If you journey across a significant or unusual gate, send me a picture. I would love to see what gates you discover in your part of the world.