At a recent
meeting of Christians who work or are involved in rural matters from local
authorities, businesses, agriculture, the third sector and churches, one of the
concerns that became apparent was the loss of the glue that binds rural communities
together. This glue was not one
particular aspect of rural life which had been lost but rather something less
physical; something like magnetism or the rhythm of the tides, the loss of which
has meant that people are less connected and less supportive of one another.
For several
months I have been reflecting on this and then a comment at Rural Action
Yorkshire staff team meeting the Chair, Jan Thornton used the words “Social
Ballet” to describe community life.
This was
like firing the starting gun in my mind and I was quickly making some notes as
I reflected on this phrase and the idea that living in a rural community is
like being part a “dance”. What’s more I
could see connections with the idea of God as Trinity. In some branches of Christian theology is the
idea, that the three persons of the Trinity (Father Son and Spirit) are not
only co-equal but that they are in a perpetual loving and supportive relationship
as they dance together. As Jonathan Marlowe puts it “The early church fathers
and mothers looked at that dance (perichoresis) and said, (That’s what the Trinity
is like.) It’s a harmonious set of relationship in which there is mutual giving
and receiving.”
Reflecting
on this I can see that in a traditional villages such as the one where I was
born there were several shops, church, Chapel, village school, women’s
institute, pub, village hall committee running events such as fruit and veg
shows and a Cricket club which held an annual barn dance and pig roast which was
attended by young and old.
I can even
remember the first village hall folk dance I attended where a band lead the
music, a caller explained the steps and called the moves of dances such as
Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordon’s.
Since then
many of these touch points where people meet and interact have been lost. The
result is that people see each other less often, have less interaction and will
clearly know and appreciate one another other less well as the relationships have
become weaker.
It also perhaps explains why people
in towns and cities feel they are isolated. As although there may be a myriad of
places to shop, play sport, eat out or worship, the people that are at each of
these places are different so relationships are, as a result, likely to be superficial
and shallow.
In terms of addressing the loss of
glue in our rural communities it’s not so much as their being one magic bullet
or even one particular initiative such as a luncheon club, fresh expression of
church that’s required to turn things around. It’s the development of a whole
series of these so that people are able to make connections throughout the week
with all members of the community at some point.
Two things I think are needed to be borne
in mind in this process. Firstly, the need to realise that community and
context has changed. Patterns of work and demographics have changed in rural
communities so that the age profile is likely to be older. So perhaps rather
than say constantly trying to prop up a cricket club perhaps the answer is for a cricket club to transform
itself into croquet or bowls club.
Secondly the answer is not one
particular initiative or one group such as the church or the village hall to
see themselves as the saviour of community life but for each to look for ways
to act in concert so that all may thrive. Generating different occasions and providing
places where people can come together and build their common life together.
Rural Action Yorkshire has perhaps
put their finger on this by producing a list of 52 (Almost) Painless Things Your
Community Can Do!.
With ideas ranging from: Setting up an oil-buying cooperative, starting a
community choir or holding a wine-tasting evening.
From a church perspective this isn’t
about the church being the centre, it’s about recognising that God works
through all people of peace and goodwill in the community to bring about change
for the common good. We are called to
seek and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom.
If we open our eyes and ears we see and hear stories of the Kingdom all
around us, of God at work in and beyond our churches. If God can use an ass to
direct Balham in Numbers 22 or the King of Salem known as (Melchizedek) to bless Abraham then surely he can
use people beyond our churches to speak and bless our communities. We shouldn’t
be like Balham and his ass and ignore them at our peril but rather like Abraham
and Melchizedek seek out people of peace, acknowledge the blessings they bring
and then working with others as co-workers bring blessings to the whole
community.
Perhaps this is what’s so special about
the rural church. Where the edges between church and community become fuzzy and
where people in churches embed themselves in the community so that everyone is
blessed.
Producing a myriad of initiatives
providing opportunities for people in our communities to come together building
up our common life and join the social dance as Jan puts it. Rather than sitting on the side watching
others. May be we will then regain that
community glue of the social dance.
Perhaps we can then dance like the community of Mabou on Cape Breton Island
in Canada I once visited. Here folk-dancing is so imbedded in village life
that there was no need for a caller at the village Cèilidh, everyone joined
in and all knew the steps and the tunes.
Watch the people of Mabou dance in their village hall here
Watch the people of Mabou dance in their village hall here
