Dec. 7 – Eliza Griswold – Circle of Hope [Advent Calendar]

Circle’s commitments to being a true community that is attuned to justice issues made it an ideal candidate for tackling challenging topics. For too many churches the ideal seems to be entertainment and inspiration within the context of relative anonymity. To really be a community involves risk and difficult conversations.

It also takes time. Lots of time. And patience and forbearance. Tackling these topics in the midst of a leadership transition or a global pandemic is a recipe for failure. Taking a pivotal and timely issue like the George Floyd protests and trying to force a conversation about anti-racism is challenging at best. Once the immediate moment passes, generating the necessary energy is difficult.

Some of the leaders pushed too hard, too fast, and didn’t care who got hurt in their pursuit of justice. I’m reminded of Bonhoeffer’s warnings in Life Together. When we try to create community in our own strength, we don’t do it well. Community, he tells us, is a gift from God.

Circle of Hope is an excellent and compelling book that deserves all the praise it’s been receiving. Reading it, one can viscerally sense things coming apart for the congregation.