The famous author, poet, farmer and activist Wendell Berry writes that “no settled family or community has ever called its home place an “environment”. No-one has ever called its feeling for its home place “biocentric” or “anthropocentric”. The concepts and insights of the ecologists are of great usefulness in our predicament…but they come from the juiceless, abstract intellectuality of the universities… The real names of the environment are the names of rivers and river valleys, creeks, ridges and mountains; towns and cities; lakes, woodlands, lanes, roads, creatures and people.”
I totally agree with him. It is hard to connect with an abstraction or a concept or feel warmth for a principle or a designation. Home, for example, is so much more than a house, however beautiful. It is more than bricks and mortar, furniture and conveniences. A house becomes a home when we experience and appreciate love and connection within its walls; when laughter and tears make it a place of meaning and vitality.
We seek to honor and protect a place when it becomes a home. Regardless of its monetary value it has worth that can only be appreciated by the heart.
I live between the neighborhoods of Oakhurst and Riverside in Fort Worth and I like that. The oak lined streets of Oakhurst are a gift to me just as are the Trinity River and its bluffs and side creeks. Mammals and birds move through the valleys and hills and enrich my life experience. I feel a connection to those who share this home place with me. There is community in the local restaurants, stores and parks, a harmony and peace in the changing of the seasons and the phases of the moon.
For me, too, our church community is home. I love its position on a hill in Wedgwood and I appreciate the spaces (sanctuary, halls, classrooms and garden) that have been warmed and filled with the energy of many people over many years.
My office and the offices of staff members are central components of a life work and it is here that we share challenges and accomplishments. I feel the same way about the spiritual power within the sanctuary and the exuberant joy of music and message.
Thanks for being here as part of our larger family to make this house a home. The more we do so the greater support and love we feel. Thanks for your well wishes and for your financial support. Thanks for being Unity together. Yes, it’s a great name for the greatest living truth – our oneness with God and with each other.
With Love,
Paul