knowyourneighbor

No tragedies here

One of the more widely read Mormon blogs By Common Consent recently published an entry titled The Sabbath and the Tragic Commons which asks the question "Is it neighborly in an area of Mormon dominance to decline invitations to shared family events on Sunday?"

My response is three-fold:

1. In a corridor of Mormon dominance, when we choose to participate (or not) due to our religious beliefs, there is the risk of being exclusionary. Ironically, during the early days of the church, a "circle the wagons" mindset allowed our community to survive. But today, the reverse is true. Our survival and growth could depend on finding common ground, becoming inclusionary.

2. Sam MB's entry skirts an important and far-reaching question. Which is -- why is it that there is an "us vs. them" mindset in the first place? Each of our cities and towns include people of all different religious persuasions, including no religion at all. Are we, as Mormons, so different that we can't find any common ground within individuals outside the comfortable cocoon of our faith? Aren't there other people in our community that want to do good and be good just like we do?

3. If the answer is yes, and I believe it is, and we therefore determine to draw a circle of commonality around us (who don't do birthday parties on Sunday) and them (who do), the question of hurt feelings will be largely moot. Because while "us vs. them" must by definition disagree, "we" agree.

So here's what I'd encourage us to do.

The next time we go to a community event, let's have enough real conversations to find someone with whom there is potentially meaningful common ground.

I'm going to a fundraiser for my kids' school on Saturday evening; I'll report back.

Will you?

A welcome invitation

"Dear Daisy Cottage" is a must-share blogs in the way that a good chocolate chip cookie must be shared.

The author evokes such coziness through her photographs and commentary, I immediately felt she had invited me into her home and heart even though we had figuratively speaking just met!

What a pleasure and privilege to be her neighbor!

Enjoy!

Link: Daisy Cottage: Rocking Chair.

A call to arms...and hands

The Lord's work is too vast, too arduous for any one people; God is indeed using more than one people for the accomplishment of His great and marvelous work. Orson F. Whitney

I just can't get this next piece of news off my mind.

The Church's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Joel Dehlin, recently started blogging see www.ldscio.org. Because of the Church's committment to identifying and developing technologies that will further the work of God, Brother Dehlin's stated purpose of the blog is "to have a gathering place for techies who want to understand more about the church's technology."

While it is true that Bro. Dehlin's blog is under the auspices of the church, and KYN-The Back Porch isn't, wouldn't it be terrific if this blog could become one of a number of forums in which we share ideas related to finding common ground with our communities, whether on a personal or institutional basis?

Since launching the Know Your Neighbor website, I have come in contact with many people who are trying to build bridges and to find common ground.

You are doing amazing things.

And I want to know more.

I want to know more about you, to share with you, to support you as we partner with the many people throughout the world that want to do good and be good just like we do.

So, tell me. Tell all of our community, more.

What concerns do you have about bridge-building and finding common ground?

What are you doing individually to build bridges? As a family? As an institution?