Rambling thru the countryside
what not to do to affect change
“Do not knock down random fences.”
— G.K. Chesterton
I watched this short video from
at Mini Philosophy the other day, where Thomson explained the above quote. Chesterton was using the prototypical image of a person rambling through the English countryside, sees a ramshackle fence blocking their way, and tears it down to make the ramble easier. But the rambler has no idea about the utility of that fence for the nearby farmer, and it wreaks havoc - or at the very least causes a hassle - when the fence is taken down.Chesterton’s point is that if you don’t know exactly what something does, you should leave it alone. According to Thomson, “Chesterton thought there was a particular type of reformer, a certain kind of busybody and do-gooder, who will wade in and bulldoze things without actually doing their research.” More thoughtful reformers will examine a problem, study the issues, the needs, and the traditions, learning its history and utility - and then considering what might need to be changed, upgraded, adjusted, replaced, or simply done away with.
What does that have to do with Congregational Shenanigans™? I have no specific examples, but I’m pretty sure you can think of things that suddenly got tossed and then had to be replaced, or a process that was completely changed and caused more problems, or a software utility suddenly changed and now folks have to learn a whole new system.
And I bet you can also think of changes or decisions that happened abruptly, without involving the people it most concerns.
Not to mention the people who just think they know better about a thing you do (or are about to do) and bulldoze their way into something that’s none of their business, and if they just asked someone they’d see it was taken care of.
(Okay, I do have a good example: that time the worship team that worked hard on Saturday afternoon to set up the chairs in the sanctuary into semi-circles, and add physical objects that would be used in the service, only to have some do-gooder come in early Sunday morning and reset all the chairs back to the rows they were always in, and to throw away all those objects, without contacting anyone on the worship team - or the ushers, who knew… or the admin, who knew… or pretty much anyone else who was on Sunday morning detail. And yes, I wish this was a made-up example.)
But this happens all the time. I suppose some of it is our encouragement that ‘we are the church’ and to ‘take ownership’… yes, if you see garbage or a dirty mug, clean it up. That’s still valid. But there are ways in which our eagerness to help can actually destroy something, and our insistence that we have a better process for one thing can actually complicate another thing. And so on, and so on.
And when those things happen - when you tear down the fence - you cause feelings of frustration and mistrust, and indeed, your right relationships are no longer right.
If you really think there’s something wrong, or you know a better way, follow these steps:
find out who ‘owns’ the process/objects/thing
find out who is impacted by the process/objects/thing
ask those people about its current utility, the issue you think needs to be addressed, the history, the tradition, etc.
figure out whether the change is actually needed
and if it is, figure out what’s the most prudent, economical, useful, and affirmative change for your community
if it’s only affirming you and your ego, go back to step one
if you didn’t go back to step one and are whining about it, then just let it go
if you can’t let it go, consider why it is so important to you that you can’t accept what the stakeholders and those who benefit are telling you - maybe ask for help on this if you can’t see it
when everything’s good, and affirming, and helpful, and prudent, and not about you, make that change
Busybodies and do-gooders are seeking something, and it’s rarely altruistic. But reformers - good, thoughtful reformers know to observe, ask, engage, research, build coalitions, and bring everyone on board as change occurs.
Oh, and I hope you realize this post isn’t just about Congregational Shenanigans™ - it’s about how we approach our work for justice and equity too. People wiser and more experienced than I have great guidance and training for working with communities/people in need and being a good ally. Listen to them. Don’t assume you know what a community needs - talk to them Listen to them. Follow their lead. Be willing to discern with them. Ask for help.
And for the love of god, stop knocking down random fences.
Love this. Perhaps you might consider sending it to the current US Administration?
Situations such as this are examples of why it is important to become informed, engage with the community for a broader perspective. Talk with others, ask questions. People going in to help, or without knowledge of the context and conditions, often create more work for others and can affect bonds among individuals and within the community. It is unlikely that a bull in a china shop will be invited or welcomed back.