“My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours,
and my ways are different from yours. – Isaiah 55:8 (Good News Translation)
I was just sitting at an outdoor table at a restaurant on Main St., having a light lunch on my own. Outdoor eating is an enjoyable treat, to be sure. One of the interesting parts of sidewalk tables, though, is all of the people walking past. The sidewalk of Main St. in the afternoon is surprisingly busy. It is not a constant flow of people, but not much more than a minute or two goes by between pedestrians. Most who go by come with a snippet of conversation. Some are walking with another person, others are on the phone. They go by too quickly to truly eavesdrop on the conversation, but the conversations are also loud and clear enough that you can’t help but take in a sentence or two.
From such a short burst there’s no context for what is being said, but the tone of the conversation is apparent. Some are lighthearted discussions of nothing of importance. Others are gripe sessions about some person or situation. Others are deep introspective engagements with serious matters of health and well-being. A wide range of human experience is on display in just thirty minutes of sitting in one place. I find it to be a great way to take in the whole tapestry of the community around us. It is so easy to get caught in our own little bubbles, assuming that everyone else views the world in the same way and cares about the same thing. Hearing these conversations gives a glimpse into the wider world (without violating anyone’s privacy).
To care about a community means to care for it in its diversity. The goal of caring is not to make everyone else the same as we are inside our bubble. It is to recognize how many are outside of our bubble and have concerns different from ours, and learn how to respond with compassion to the concerns and situations that others find themselves in. This is love for our local community.