Where Would You Rather Be?

Nearly every speaker at Catalyst starts out with the sentence, or some derivation of it: "So glad to be here, there is no place I'd rather be than right here with you guys!"

This is how I process such a statement:

1. What do your wife and kids have to say about that?
2. What if the audience left and a new audience came in a took our place? Would you still feel the same way? 
3. If so, then you come across as someone who just says whatever the listener wants to hear. That lacks conviction!
4. What if we were all together, but in a new location? If that was the case, then the location is irrelevant. Rather, you are excited to be with us as an audience.
5. Yet, you have no knowledge of who the people are in the audience.
6. Or if you do, then you must have super crazy powers to know each one of us individually.
7. Maybe this guy is Jesus.
8. Or the Devil.
9. There are too many Christians here. And everyone was lifting their hands during worship, I don't think the Devil feels comfortable around here.
10. But he can't be Jesus because I saw a picture of Jesus and he had a halo above his head and a lamb draped around his shoulders. This guy has neither. Plus, I learned in seminary that when Jesus returns, there would be the sound of a trumpet. I didn't hear a trumpet. 
11. Ok, I am reasonably convinced that this guy is neither the Devil or Jesus.
12. I also suspect that he does not have super powers us that allows him to know each member of the audience.
13. So if he doesn't know us as the audience, and the location is not relevant to why he is happy to be here, why would he say that there is no place he'd rather be?
14. Maybe he is getting paid a lot of money to be here, and if he were anywhere else, he wouldn't be getting paid.
15. It doesn't seem like this guy is in it for the money.
16. Did I hear someone call my name? 
17. No...
18. Ok, where was I?
19. Oh ya, if he isn't in it for the money, then maybe he is happy to be here because he is just very excited to share what he knows with an audience that desires to hear what he says.
20. How does he know the audience really is in fact here to hear him though?
21. Well they did give him a big applause, and they paid money to be here.
22. Ok, I guess his story checks out. Time to start listening.
23. Wait, he is done speaking? I missed it...ah fiddlesticks....