10 Trinity Sq
Toronto, ON
M5G 1B1
416-598-4521
416-598-1432 (fax)
map
Rental space available
Weddings at Holy Trinity
weekly services
Sun. 10:30 am, 2:00pm;
Wed. 12:15 pm
email:
the church
the webmaster
parish staff
|
reflections and sermons posted here are the work of individual members of Holy Trinity. Opinions expressed are those of the writer or preacher and do not necessarily reflect an official or even popular opinion within the parish.
Self-sufficiency vs Community?
SARA BOYLES
There was a piece of folk music that began, "Never smile at a crocodile". It's the next two lines of lyrics that run around my head: "Don't be taken in by his special grin, He's imagining how well you'll fit within his skin." We live in a world where self-sufficiency is toted as a goal and a sign of success (whether it be an airline, a home , a business, a well-ordered personal life, a church ministry). This is in direct contrast to the model of gospel we claim and try to live into.
We claim to appreciate the interconnectedness community life brings. In that context we hope to find and appreciate our own boundaries with grace and compassion. We learn to appreciate and live in thanksgiving for others who see them differently and can make other decisions about the boundaries of their communities. While the growth edge rubs, it is also the place we grow and sense who we can become. We stand and have stood at that growth edge frequently at Holy Trinity (safety for queer folk, inclusion (or not) of the folk who call the Square home, an open communion table etc.)
Self-sufficiency as it is presented, for example, in advertising and in budget figures, can be a dangerous illusion. It can prevent us as a
church community from dreaming and beginning. It can erode self-worth. It has created a class of people whose daily goal is to blend into the anonymity of the city. It drives many more ordinary folk into overwork and isolation. It is easy to see how this concept appeals to people who have few support structures and values that root them in a place of relative surety in the abundance of life.
Self-sufficiency need not be bad. A degree of it is healthy. It should not be a life goal however. We are built for community. We identify with one God that has three parts, a community of God. We are instructed to become all that we are and reminded that we learn to love others as we learn to be gracious and merciful to ourselves. Justice, safety, curiosity, engagement are words that come easily this morning to describe the direction our actions should take if we are to be the Gospel people we long to be.
Our close encounter with the challenges of this day will eventually take their place in a much larger picture. Do our choices here help fit us for the tasks of our lives in a rooted way? Are our church doors open with life flowing in and out?
Sara November 30, 1999 |
