Community… with Tracy, Scott & Peter

Last night we went to Norwich to see the musical ‘Hairspray’ – set in Baltimore in 1962 featuring big hearted Tracy Turnblad. It’s a story about the fight against racial discrimination, but it’s bigger than that. It’s a story about building a community that includes everyone – whatever their colour, size, appearance, class, age or education.

This vision of a fully integrated community without prejudice or discrimination is described in the song ‘I know where I’ve been:

There’s a light in the darkness
Though the night is black as my skin
There’s a light burning bright
Showing me the way
But I know where I’ve been

I’m reading Scott Peck’s ‘In Search of Stones’. He says: ‘We are all equal in the sight of God. Beyond that, however we are utterly unequal. We have different gifts and liabilities, different genes, different languages and cultures, different values and styles of thinking… Humanity might be properly labelled ‘the unequal species…’

Peck has established a ‘Foundation for Community Encouragement’ that seeks to build communities that deal with inequality, that encourage and celebrate diversity.

He talks about values required for establishing community… a sense of humour, calling, dedication, sensitivity, flexibility, integrity, courage… One phrase caught my attention: ‘You cannot build community from a distance…’

I’ve recently returned to words of St Peter that have challenged me for over a year: ‘To the elders… Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them… not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve… being examples to the flock’

I’m an older man… required to be a caring shepherd, an eager servant, a good example… acknowledging the diversity that Scott and Tracy both celebrate. I’m to be personally, intentionally, actively involved in building community. The song ‘I know where I’ve been’ incudes the line ‘Just to sit still would be a sin’.

It concludes:

I know where I’m going
Lord knows, I know where I’ve been
Oh, when we win, I’ll give thanks to my God
‘Cause I know where I’ve been.