There is something amazing that happens when a community of people come together for the common good and a worthy cause.
Recently, there has been so much attention placed on protest and division in our society. Nothing is accomplished in that.
However, when people with different ideas and opinions come together and use their strengths and willingness to compromise, great things can be accomplished.
This last summer, I went with some co-laborers of flood recovery to a creative placemaking conference in Charleston, West Virginia. It was a whole new frontier for me. I wasn't sure what creative space making in the Appalachian Valley had to do with the Great Flood of 2017 here in our region, but there was one common theme -- I was going to this conference to learn how I could help our counties recover from the flood and be a better place to live.
Others were coming from all around the country to find out how they also could make a positive impact on their communities.
What was about to occur changed me as a person. Relationships were being birthed between people with a common goal, to make their world a better place.
Here is the uncommon part for me.
Most of the people I met and gleaned knowledge from have totally different views on life than I do. I am different spiritually, culturally and politically, but what I learned was when people have the same goal, it does not matter that they do not have the same views on things.
As long as one view is the same, they come to the table with the common goal to make a positive impact in their community, for the good of all their neighbors.
There is something powerful that takes place when a community realizes that working together makes a difference.
Our opinions in the area of politics are not going to make a difference. It is the common idea that even though we are different, our common goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of people.
We can call it loving our neighbors as ourselves, paying it forward, being a good neighbor, etc. We begin to make a difference when we realize that community is a non-partisan issue. You have to look deep, but I am learning there are people out there who do not do things with a hidden agenda. They are not concerned about what is in it for them. They just want to lend a hand and make a change for the better.
While in West Virginia, our Ozark Vitality group had the privilege of spending some time with the conferences keynote speaker, Lori McKinney of the Riff Raff Art Collective. Lori, along with her husband, Robert, moved into the Mercer Street area of Princeton, West Virginia about 15 years ago.
They moved there with one purpose, to revitalize the local community and bring a healthy cultural transformation to that area. Other people grabbed a hold of their vision and now 15 years later, the community is a vibrant place full of art, music and education. Their parades, festivals and events attract people from all over the region.
A place that used to be filled with drugs and crime is now filled with the sound of music and the laughter of children playing.
I have always been a fan of Super heros. I grew up reading comics like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and my favorite, Aquaman. So, you can imagine I was pretty excited when the Justice League came out in theaters last year.
There is a scene toward the beginning of the movie where Wonder Woman foils a terrorist plot. She removes the bombs by throwing them into outer space, so now the bad guy is going to execute a row of civilians. As he begins to fire his weapon, Wonder Woman sweeps in and uses her bracelets to deflect all of the bullets and saves everyone's life.
As she then moves in to apprehend the bad guy he says, "I don't believe it!" "Who are you?" Wonder Woman responds, "I'm a believer!"
John, Chapter 9 is probably my favorite chapter in the bible.
John 9 tells the story of a young man who is the subject of the disciples questions; "Teacher who sinned this man or his parents that would make him be born blind." Jesus responds, "neither!" "He was born blind to show the glory of God."
The Lord then healed the man born blind.
This should have brought everyone together, however it did not. It caused much confusion in the community. People were confused. The Pharisees were threatened. They confronted the parents of the young man. People even thought it was a setup and he just looked like the man born blind.
However, the young man who now can see didn't care about all that. He was a believer and he believed in the Power of the Community that Jesus had created, "Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
In John 9:24-25, the Pharisees say to this young man, "Give glory to God!" "We know this man is a sinner!" Verse 25 the young man responds, "Sinner or not I do not know, what I do know is I was blind but now I see!"
He's a believer! He's changed forever.
Do not be distracted by smear campaigns. Just set your eyes on the truth and work together to make a difference in your world.
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Truncone and his wife, Heidi, have been married 26 years. They have two daughters, Hannah, 20, and Abigail, 16. They have lived in Van Buren for eight years.
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Editor's note: This is a regular series featuring area religious leaders writing about faith, family and community. To participate or suggest a church, contact us at news@darnews.com or 573-785-1414.