The Cross and the Cleaver… Community Building
Several recently released movies, it seems, are on many people’s minds and tongues, and on pages of many publications; from personal opinions to nearly scholarly analyses. Invectives, and dismissals, are liberally hurled in all directions by all sides. The opinion of those who have seen the movies might be somewhat more informed than of those who have not seen any, yet already know what’s what.
That reminds me of the thought from my last reflection; about children refusing to eat something they think they don’t like, without tasting it. As another saying goes: “don’t knock it till you tried it.” I wrote in the past about being curious – curious about the others/neighbours in our life. Asking myself, and them, what is their story, what makes them “tick.” And I continue to be curious.
The biggest stumbling block, for acting on that curiosity, is that we are rapidly losing the ability to talk with one another. Talk, in a true sense of the word. We talk at, not to, or with, one another. To quote Stephen R. Covey: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
So how do we return to being the original community we once were in our ancestors? Community that still exists in societies, and ethnic groups, we call “primitive.” Many contemporary communities trying to recover their original intent and meaning, are called something quite different.
As a guy who cooks, and as a Christian minister; with no claim to exclusivity or superiority of what I pitch and preach I do have… an idea.
I am thinking here of several TV commercials whose subject matter I forgot and have no time for hours of Google© search. All involving an imagery of long tables, bending under food and drink, with many people sitting around, laughing, talking, singing, eating, and drinking … being a community.
So, my idea is this … COMMUNITY MEAL! I dream of a block, or neighbourhood, BBQ, not a garage sale. I naively hope that perhaps some of us can afford to do such without asking $1 for lemonade, or $3-$5 for a burger or a hot-dog. I hope some of us can afford to help those who cannot. Is couple of cheap wiener packs and buns, plus tri-pack of Heinz©
condiments really that expensive? Imagine us eating together, visiting, learning each other’s names (hoping we will remember at least three)!!!
So, unless you think I am totally crazy, how do we start such a dream, and make it reality? Well, we either organise a community BBQ, or … we start small. Small, because we simply might need to practice being a community, talking, listening, sharing … food and ourselves with others.
How about a simple, no fuss, meal to which you invite two couples that you know a little: not the closest friends and not the complete strangers. How about an eat-with-your-fingers seafood table (plenty of cooked thaw-or-heat-and-serve stuff in all the stores around here)? Or burgers, hot-dogs, coleslaw, and reheated baked beans? This time it is not about a recipe for a dish, but a recipe for growth and for community. The ingredients are the questions that allow us to know each other better.
How did you meet? Do you have favourite vacation spot? What is happiness for you? How did you end up in a career/trade/lifestyle you have?
I wish you a happy, challenging, AND rewarding conversations. 😊
Your brother in learning ….. Piotr
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