Fragmentation and Life in the City

Something that has weighed on my heart since moving to the Northern VA/DC area almost a year ago, and weighs even heavier now, is the sense of fragmentation that I feel living in this city. To be quite honest, unless something changes in my heart and I feel a strong call to stay here, I probably will move elsewhere in the next few years. As I looked for a job in this city, knowing that I signed a year-long lease in Old Town, this thought was constantly on my mind. How long do I want to live in a place where I do not really feel like I can put down roots and invest myself in a people, in a neighborhood, in a community? Sometimes I question whether such a thing is even possible in our culture. Oh to really know others and be known by them! To love my neighbors not just in my heart but through actions and presence; to have the time to invite them over for dinner, to worship in the same place together. I long for something that is not the case, and honestly not quite possible right now.

I work in Burke, I live in Alexandria, and I certainly have not found a church in either area that is 1) theologically close to where I stand and 2) doing the kinds of things that i'm interested in, so that means adding a 3rd place into the mix. This is hard, really hard for me. It is difficult to live in a way where I am not fully connected to a specific place, or a specific group of people.

However, we can all feel a sense of loss and disjointedness in our technologically saturated, consumer and commuter-oriented culture. With cell phones for communication, millions of things on the internet to sit around and look through all day, and quick stop and go supermarkets, it seems we have become a people who have very little need to truly interact with the rest of the world throughout our day. And yet, we’re actually so reliant on them. For instance, our food comes from people who picked it, tilling the land for a living and working with their hands. Further, I would argue, as I think the Bible does that we need other people, just as we need the land.

I think that globalization, for all the good it has done opening people to new ideas and providing ways to get valuable resources to needy peoples, has only increased the disjointedness. To be honest, I find it quite alarming. I could probably get on a soapbox about this topic for hours, but instead of doing that, I want to provide a constructive discussion. So, with that said, I would like to introduce you to an author who has spoken into this idea of disjointedness and community for me. His name is Wendell Berry. In his writing, Berry urges us to reconnect with people, place, and environment. Instead of just floating through life gobbling up resources, Berry’s vision is for us to live as a part of the world in which we make our homes. I respect his vision and attempts to extend this vision immensely.

I just read the following post, which discussions Berry’s vision and provides some valuable insights into this topic:

http://deliberately.typepad.com/more_deliberate_every_day/2007/05/wendell_berry_p_1.html

The post discusses Berry’s book, The Unsettling of America, and I think it is a great companion to the issues I’ve raised here. So go ahead, have a read, and let’s discuss.