Flourishing

I am currently reading a book entitled Why Place Matters: Geography, Identity, and Civic Life in Modern America. The book is a compilation of essays by various authors, addressing contemporary America's loss of the importance of the sense of place and community.  The publisher's of this book have categorized it as Policital Science/Civics and Citizenship/Public Policy/City Planning & Urban Development. This is not a book that you will find at Lifeway or even in the religion section of Barnes & Noble; however, the semiotics of place and community are essentially a spiritual, faith-filled concept at their heart.  Let me explain.

In his essay, "Making Places," Mark T. Mitchell, a professor of political theory at Patrick Henry College argues that "human beings have a deep and abiding longing to belong" and that "our human longings are best fulfilled in the context of vibrant local communities." These communities must "foster a more rooted existence" and "cultivate the art of place-making." He suggests four essential elements of place-making.  Place-making is about creating safe-spaces for people that allows our world to flourish.  Within place-making:

1. There must be "a sense of limits." 
2. "We must come to orient our lives around long term commitments and a recognition of natural duties." 
3. We must "recover the language and sense of providence, vocation, and stewardship. 
4. We must acknowledge that "place-making is an art that requires time and practice."

As I was reading, I was left with the undeniable sense of the "righteousness" in Mr. Mitchell's proposal for place-making.  After all, his essential elements were on G-d's mind when He was place-making the Earth for humankind.

When we look at Genesis 1 & 2, we see the narrative of creation, the creating of a place. This place was not like you or I creating a room that has good feng shui or even a worship space that is inviting for all. This was G-d, the Creator of the universe, making a place that we would come to call home.

This place called Earth was created with a sense of limits.  They are written all over the story.  The light was separate from darkness; evening and day were called forth.  The mountains rose up, breaching the face of the water; land and water were told where to gather.   Humankind was molded, life breathed into our beings, and we were given a home.  This home came with limits. "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." G-d knew we are creatures who need limits. Safe places and communities require boundaries. This place that G-d created had physical boundaries, as well as spiritual.  Place-making must involve limits, or fences that cue us to where the place begins and ends and how we are to live within in it.

Additionally, this place that G-d created was oriented "long term commitments and natural duties." It is important to acknowledge that this created place was not just about the commitment of humans towards the place and its Creator, but that the Creator had a deeper commitment that outlasts any attempt that humans put forth.  G-d created the place. He created humankind. He walked with them daily in this place.  When things went wrong He clothed them and did not abandon His creation. The Creator has infinite commitment and created the concept of natural duties.  So for humankind in this place that was created they were given each other to find commitment in. "Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh...become one flesh." Humanity was welcomed into this place called Earth, a place where we would live forever and given duties to care and tend to it. Safe places and communities require long term commitment.  G-d did not create a place that was meant to be jumped in and out of.  His creation is a place that He is committed to and invites us to mirror that commitment and duty in our everyday actions.

The Creation Story in Genesis is full of providence.  G-d is all over it; moving and working to create a place and a people.  Look at the verbs that are attributed to G-d: "the Spirit of G-d was hovering," "G-d said," "He called," G-d blessed them," "G-d saw," "G-d made," "He rested," "G-d formed," "He breathed," "He planted," and "G-d caused." That is providence; G-d in the midst of the place, even when He cannot be seen.  In this narrative, He is seen plainly and He is giving the created place over to His created being to stewarded.  Humankind, here is your vocation, here is a piece of your purpose in this place.

"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground...Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." 

 G-d created a place in which providence, vocation and stewardship were essential. Now, we could argue for hours on what this vocation and stewardship look like, but for this post that's not my focus.  When this place called Earth was created, G-d in His ultimate place-making called us to a specific vocation, to indispensible duties and fulfilling or not fulfilling those duties has natural consequences.  Stewardship is about being able to leave the created place to those who come behind us.

Finally, as you read the creation story and imagine the beauty of each element, we must remember that G-d in the midst of place-making the Earth also created time.  He created time as holy, not only the seventh day, which was blessed and to be set aside for rest, but each and every day He called good.  Place-making takes work and rest.  It takes time and practice.

The semiotics of place and community are a spiritual, faith-filled concept at their heart.  The G-d of the universe, the pioneer of creating place and community, set forth essential elements that we cannot ignore as we approach joining Him in sub-creating. We must seek to create places and communities with long term commitment and natural duties for those involved.  We must seek to create places and communities that welcome limits as guideposts and invite the language and reality of providence, vocation and stewardship.  We must seek to create places and communities that honor both the gift of time and practice through work and rest.  

After all, G-d did...and we are called to join Him in creation.  Can we join G-d in creating places and communities in which humankind can flourish?  

Rising From The Ashes

"Well, religion has been passed down through the years by stories people tell around the campfire. Stories about God, stories about love. Stories about good spirits and evil spirits."

~ Andrew Greeley, Roman Catholic Priest

Camp Mission Meadows, Lake Chautauqua, NY (07/23/2016)

     Not visible in this photograph is the faint smoke plume rising from the ashes of what had been a decent fire the evening before. Just about 10 hours earlier there had been about 150 junior high students and their camp counselors gathered around this campfire, telling stories, singing songs and praying.
     Around campfires we tell stories.  In Junior High, being a cool kid was directly tied to your ability to cause your friends sleepless nights over the zombies and vampires that your mind would manifest into tales of horror. Campfires facilitate relationship.  We sit around them and chat, as if the world melts away.  I want to propose something else.  Campfires foster healing because campfires promote telling.  Around campfires, even the shyest of us, tell stories.  We muster up enough courage, as if the embers of the fire fuel our hearts, to speak out.
     As we listen to the stories of those gathered around us, we find space and openness to begin to tell our own stories.  "Storiest about God, stories about love. Stories about good spirits and evil spirits." Around campfires we become not only good listeners, but we find the value of the story.
     Our stories are meant to be told. Our stories are meant to be found in the midst of God's story and the story of his people. We are meant to sit around campfires.  Perhaps the Church should reclaim and resign the art of campfire storytelling? Perhaps every house of worship should have a communal campfire in their yard.
     As we speak around the campfire, we burn down walls of division.
          As we speak around the campfire, we learn to tell our story and we learn to tell it well.
     As we speak around the campfire, the stories of our lives rise from the ashes
          and the flames of the Holy Spirit ruminate in our souls.
     As we speak around the campfire we are healed.