Creation Symphony

I was telling a neighbor today about a possible new home purchase in a less urban area. As I spoke to him, I mentioned the increased square footage of living space, the increased acreage of land and the nice nearby schools. I was taken off guard when he interjected, ‘Are there any blacks? I bet there’s no blacks.’ Now he’s a couple generations older than I and I can appreciate that he grew up in different times and all, but come on! His head nod and grin as he spoke seemed top indicate that this was the real benefit or the real reason for us looking to move. A good number of conversations I have with this neighbor seems to include some type of racial or ethnic derogatory statement usually aimed at African Americans or Hispanics. (Other conversations usually seem health related or about politics or 'the kids these days’.) Every time this happens I am dumbfounded. I really should be used to it but each time I react (at least inwardly) like it’s the first time. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t hide my reactions very well! On past occasion I have said something, not to be abrasive, but to show that I didn’t agree with what was being said. This time, I thought about what he said and agreed that there probably weren’t very many. Of course I then steered the conversation away from that topic.

This whole exchange made me wonder what the demographics of our possible new home town is compared to that of the city in which my wife and I have lived our entire lives. According to the 2000 census, racially, our city is about 60% White and 17% African American (which leaves the 23% of Asians, Native Americans and others). It says 26% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. 16% of the population is below the poverty level and the population density is about 11,000 per square mile. The new place is 95% White and less than 2% African American (which leaves the just over 2% of Asians, Native Americans and others). 6% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Less than 5% of the population is below the poverty level and the population density is about 250 per square mile.

This city and its diversity is what my wife and I grew up with. Our parents grew up here. This move is a great opportunity for us and our son, but I’m going to miss this city. We’ve looked at several housing options here and none have panned out for us. On the other hand we are very excited about our possible move and everything it will bring.

Why did I take the time to type my rant into this blog? Well, I didn’t start out to rant. The day’s exchange with my neighbor got me thinking about my fellow brothers and sisters… in Christ; all races and ethnicities. I had mentioned in an earlier post a connectedness that I felt with others. Through a connection with God, a connection is made in turn with all of creation. This ‘connected’ feeling developed and became stronger for me over time. A few years ago, after a weekend retreat I had a particular feeling of a ‘heart string’ or spiritual nerve that connected the center of my being up to the heavens. I say to the heavens for the lack of a better term because I cannot envision the other end of the string; but I mean ultimately to the Being of God. This string is taut but doesn’t pull. It is a nerve sensitive to vibration. Typing this, I just thought of the 2 cans and a string telephone game that I played as a kid. Following that thought, prayer is the ‘string telephone’ conversation that I have with above.

If we all have this connection to the heavens, whether we pick up the ‘phone’ once in a while or not, then we are all in turn connected to each other. The doubly cool thing about this is that since God is creator, and WAS before creation, he is outside of the construct of time (time is really a human construct anyway). The consequence of our communion with Him is then our fellowship with his creation without any time boundaries. This allows our connection with our brothers and sisters past, present and future. Have you ever prayed that someone has strength to face an event that already happened? Wouldn’t that be just as valid? –think about it. I’ve felt a prayer like this come on and felt confident saying it. I alluded to this fellowship connection when in a previous post I wrote, “A two way connection between creator and creation that also in turn networks us all together across time and space in a holy communion”

As this connected feeling developed I also began to view the string as an umbilical cord of sorts. The cord being an avenue between the Provider and the developing creation through which nutrients flow and life blood is transferred. We are blood brothers! How can I talk bad about my brother? I’m being terribly facetious but if the Lord wouldn’t judge Sodom if there were ten good people out of the whole population, how wrong is it to judge the whole based on ten bad? This is assuming that a negative comment aimed at a whole race or ethnicity is based on a negative interaction between oneself and a number of 'representative' members. I don’t think I’m exaggerating in any more magnitude than a derogatory racial/ethnic comment casts a net on the number of a whole people! –ugh!

Lord Help me to teach my son to feel a fellowship to the rest of creation. If we end up living in an area less racially and ethnically diverse, I recognize this might be a harder task. Help me to teach him that his prayer and actions affect resonance in all of our ‘strings’; that as individuals we are each instruments of Your will; that together we form an orchestra that plays a symphony throughout time. I pray whoever reads this picks up his or her instrument with me and that our simple notes, when offered to you, are raised up and joined within the greater creation symphony. Amen.