Dear One's of St. C's,

Last week, I preached about how our power is found in community.  I first heard this idea last summer while I was on a walk and listening to a lecture for a Feminist Studies class I was taking from Dr. Kimberly George.  It stopped me in my tracks.  I did not know what it meant practically speaking, but I knew I had to let it change me.  We are taught in the context of the United States that our power is found in our individual achievements and strength.  As I continue to see and study the unjust structures that we live in, it has become clear that not everyone gets the same opportunities for this kind of individual power we are taught to pursue. It makes me question how powerful I really am as an individual, if so much of this power relies on unjust structures to support it.  As I recycle my plastic, order books from a local book store instead of amazon, and try to eat less meat, I wonder how much power I really have to decrease the impacts of climate change, save the local bookstore, and demand that amazon treat it’s warehouses workers better. 

What if our power lies in community? What if that is why unjust structures are so powerful?  The power of these unjust structures is actually found in the community of people are holding them up.  

Can you think of a time when you have experienced this kind of community power?  I remember once when I went to support a friend running a marathon, I was surprised how often I was brought to tears that day.  There was a power that came from this community of people who decided to face their own bodies capabilities and vulnerabilities.  If I just been watching my friend run on her own, I would not have felt that power that comes from a group of people working together for a common goal, pushing each other, and supporting one another.  Our power is found in community.

What does Jesus do as soon as he leaves the desert?  He finds himself a community.  I hope that you have found yourself a community here at St. Columba’s.  I hope that together we can harness our power to work together towards common goals, pushing each other and supporting one another along the way.  I hope we find again and again that our power is found when we work together here at St. Columba’s and as global citizens of this *earth, our island home. 

with hope, 

Meghan

*"earth, our island home" - this phrase comes from Eucharistic Prayer C found on page 370 of the Book of Common Prayer.