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As I drove up to The Downtown Church today, I took in the mess on Walnut Street and the painting of the parsonage. A word popped into my head: juxtaposition. I’ll admit that I had to look it up. The Oxford definition is, “the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.” The two things I could see at the exact same time are the renovation that is bringing the pink house back to life and the destruction of the street and sidewalks that, although ultimately will improve the city's infrastructure, for now looks awful!
I met with someone yesterday who expressed concern about the torn-up street, and they wondered about how that might be causing me stress. And, although I don’t like the fact we have had to cancel our First Friday Art Walk parties or the blocked roads and the noise and the mess, it hasn’t affected me or The Downtown Church all that much. Certainly not in the same way retailers, restaurants, and other businesses have been. I am able to look instead at the way the juxtaposition of these two circumstances illustrate the wonder of TDC. In the midst of it all we are being generous to our community in supporting our neighbors, hosting a fundraiser, providing space for recovery groups and board meetings of important non profits. Even as concrete is being demolished, we are recreating a beautiful space to house work that will benefit others. Even as the drilling goes on during the week, on Sunday we are raising music to the heavens as a multigenerational congregation worships together.
Maybe you are feeling a bit “juxtaposed” today. I want to encourage you to acknowledge the difficulty and look for the good, the hope, the beauty that is also present.
See you Sunday,
Lori
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