Without a vision of shared life, without something generative to move towards, we turn inwards. Our units of concern become smaller and smaller. A city, a neighborhood. A single church group, a social club. A gaggle of high school friends, college alums. Like-minded companions online. Your biological family.
The most frequent phrase in scripture is “Be not afraid” and it always precedes the messages of God. It is spoken hundreds of times by God’s angles and prophets throughout the stories of God and God’s people.
This is not an accident or a coincidence. This isn’t a joke or a baseless wish. This is actually the entire point.
Last week, the primary bridge over the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Tennessee was shut down due to a crack all the way through a structural beam. Repairs will take months, and the impact on national shipping will be felt for much longer. Much of the 50,000 daily vehicle average over the bridge is I-40 East-West long haul shipping truck traffic. The southern riverbarge traffic was also affected, although the Coast Guard opened the lanes on Friday.
Many things matter to me, and I am vocal in several spheres. But it is articulating and uplifting the moral voice in the care of Creation that makes up most of my work. I believe that we who live in that world are ideally placed to help us transform and shift as a culture into one that can thrive in a world of radical global change.
