Virtually everywhere in America, it is difficult for those who either choose to or are forced to live without an automobile to become full participants in society. This is evident in the American life-cycle narrative. Why is being able to drive celebrated by teenagers? Why is the loss of that ability mourned by the elderly? It's evident that those on the margins of the life-cycle are quite severely restrained in the choices available to them. As is true for those who simply can't afford an automobile or are prevented from driving by a disability.
What does it mean to participate in society? What does that look like? How can we foster community in this type of individualistic transportation dependent environment? What happens when we can no longer afford to drive? Are we quarantined from society like the young and the old? Or is there an alternative? What is the Church's role?
I don't know...
3 comments:
It is undetermined at this point whether or not my son will be able to drive a car. He has a visual handicap. He just got a special set of glasses that we hope will allow him to drive.
But he is facing two totally different existences depending on whether or not he can get a driver's license.
Great questions. Gets at the heart of how the American non-community works. We live in an entertainment-driven, car culture / consumer economy. To participate is to buy stuff. When the towers in New York fell, we were publicly encouraged by the President of this our nation to be good citizens...and go to the mall.
The Church's role amidtst this is something I've been pondering lately myself. The early church emerged in the context of communities (by default...so did everything else of that day and age). Certainly the gospel and the Church are context-transcending, but in such disorganization as our society, how does the Church have an organized service to itself, much less an organized mission to the outside.
My daughter was born with only one functioning eye. The thought of adapting in society and the use of automobiles were probably the first two concerns to rise to the surface. Perhaps this was really only one concern, with automobiles being a distinct facet. Fortunatly for us, I think all will be fine...even the driving.
I have come to the point where my favorite thing to do in life is spend time with other Christian families that we are close to.
If we can't find anyone else, we even call the Churnocks.
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