The Power of WE – Building the Common Good
It is “Blog Action Day” and the
theme is “The Power of We.” As a
Christian and as an active participant in interfaith and multi-faith efforts,
this is a theme that resonates. We (Americans)
live in a very individualistic culture, and while our individual identity is crucial,
too often we’ve so over-emphasized individual rights that we forget the value
of community. We focus on attaining what
will enhance our own lives, forgetting about the other. This sentiment is a major force driving the
current political conversation. Because
we’ve become a consumerist economy and culture, candidates are digging deeper
into niche markets, hoping to gain our support based on appealing to our own
wants and desires, not the common good of the whole community.
To give but one example of this
tendency, consider the debate over climate change. We face choices in the coming years about the
way we develop and use energy sources.
Carbon-based energy, including petroleum and coal produce an inordinate
amount of carbon-dioxide, which raises the earth’s temperature. Long term this will lead to the melting of
glaciers and polar ice-caps, raising the sea level, perhaps overwhelming island
nations and people leaving in coastal areas.
It could lead to desertification in some areas, and changes in the way
plants grow and where they grow. It
could affect the spread of disease and pests.
There are a lot of issues that are raised by the debate over climate
change, but some of the conversation is being driven by an individualistic view
that my current needs outweigh the needs of others, especially in the
future. Now we could add a number of
other topics to the conversation – including the national debt, immigration,
tax policy, and more.
So, how do we turn from the “Power
of I” to the “Power of We”? How do I as
in individual not just suppress my own desires, but actually contribute to the
betterment of the other? It’s not just
what must I give up, but what can I create that will make a difference?
From my own faith tradition, I draw
from Jesus’ principle of loving my neighbor as I love myself – putting the
other firmly in my purview. I’ve also learned
in the course of my work with other faith traditions, that the beginning point
is an attitude of hospitality. Although
we often equate hospitality with sharing food, it doesn’t have to involve
food. It can take many forms, but the
key is being gracious to the other, to listen, and to respect. When we do this, we begin to build
relationships, and when we build relationships we can do important things.
I’ve recently gotten involved in
Community organizing. We’re building a
coalition of religious communities in Suburban Detroit (Southeast
Michigan). The Metropolitan Coalitionof Congregations is focusing on raising awareness and action around four major
issues that affect the broader community – health care, foreclosure, gun
violence, and regional transportation.
We believe that the only way the citizenry can make its voice felt with
political, cultural, and corporate leaders is by joining together, doing our
research, and then making strategic relationships with the people who can get
things done.
This is truly the power of WE.
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