Tending Our Gardens
A few weeks ago I preached about the church as an institution. In the sermon I defined institutions as the “rules and norms that govern how people interact with each other and how they manage their common resources.” It is widely acknowledged that our federal institutions are under significant stress. This stress has been building for a long time. Some experts say it’s been since the collapse of the Soviet Union which left the U.S. as the sole “superpower.” Others say it started with the Nixon administration. Some even place the beginning of the challenges back to the days of post-World War II prosperity.
Regardless of when and where it began, there are few who would argue that our national institutions are in a state of dysfunction. This “state of the state” is very stressful for all of its citizens—regardless of how you feel about the recent election. There is a sense of powerlessness as we watch the “knives out” level of competition for public office, layered thick with contempt and disdain. Sometimes we mirror those divides in our local communities and even among our families and friends. It is an exhausting exercise that has left the engine of our government (a huge machine!) in a real dilemma. It has also eroded many of our relationships as well.
As I have considered what I should do as both a follower of Christ and a citizen in the face of this national institutional breakdown, I have come to the conclusion that my attention needs to be focused on a much smaller arena: my neighborhood. For example, we have a parking issue in my neighborhood. What can be done? We have a trash collection issue in my neighborhood—can that problem be solved? Some of my neighbors experience food insecurity—how can I help?
Our church exists in a neighborhood too. What are we doing to be a good neighbor? How can we get to know our neighbors so that we recognize their humanity and they ours? How can we contribute to lifting the quality of life at the corner of Auhay and Arroyo? I think there are a lot of tasks that we can get to work on—things we do have control over, and ways we can make an impact. I’m ready to turn my attention to the hard work of rebuilding the institutions of our common life based on trust, respect, and love—starting with the ones that are closest at hand. These are the gardens that we live in day-to-day and they have so much potential to bloom.
Blessings,
Pastor Jen
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