The Nantucket Project – A Reflection

On a chilly mid-September Friday, 500 strangers joined beneath a tent by the harbor in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The typically serene waterscape was juxtaposed by a sea of folding chairs, buzzing AV equipment, and a colossal center stage. Some were familiar with the magic that would soon fill that space; they had felt it once, twice, some seven times before. Others, like myself, sat in those folding chairs for the first time – completely oblivious to the fact that when we walked away two days later, we would not be the same. 

The Nantucket Project is an annual conference that takes place at the White Elephant Resort on Nantucket Island, about 30 miles south of mainland Massachusetts. Co-founded in 2010 by Tom Scott and Kate Brosnan, the project aims to bring passionate people with meaningful ideas on stage to give “the talk of their lives.” Past presenters include Glenn Beck, Jennifer Garner, and Deepak Chopra. This year’s conference, TNP8, saw the likes of Laura Dern, Ndaba Mandela, and former President George W. Bush. 

Those 500 strangers clung to every word spoken on the TNP8 stage. Miroslav Volf, theologian and Founder of Yale Center for Faith and Culture, spoke about faith in spite of suffering. He said, “goodness is the foundation upon which all can rest.” Valerie Plame, the former CIA operative whose identity was revealed by a Washington Post reporter, commented on the current US political climate. She said, “these are dangerous times.” Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, “I am sorry we’ve added anger to an already angry nation.”

Yet, The Nantucket Project cannot be relegated to words in quotations from impressive guest speakers. Words can’t convey the palpable agony felt in the nave of the First Congressional Church when Amanda Knox spoke about having her identity "erased". Words can’t convey the joy on Bryce Olson’s face when he told the crowd that, thanks to genetic sequencing, he would get to see his daughter finish elementary school. Chris Schumacher, who spent 17 years at San Quentin State Prison for taking another man’s life, spoke about forgiveness and reconciliation; words can’t convey the way his voice cracked when he uttered the words “I am trying.”

Every meaningful remark and inexplicable moment of emotion was linked by a common denominator: raw, unadulterated humanity. The sum of these moments was 500 strangers laughing, crying, and dancing as one – altogether lifted from the daily trenches of adult existence and connected by our innate desire to feel something real. In an increasingly compressed and socially isolated world, the Nantucket Project gifted us a simple antidote: look up, be present, and give life attention.

The Nantucket Project is inspiring, invigorating, and utterly addictive. Looking back on TNP8 with humility and awe, I am challenged to find a way to bring the lessons learned on the island back into my own community. Fortunately, The Nantucket Project has launched an initiative to bring a pocket of its content to living rooms across the country, called The Neighborhood Project. Join me in the movement here.