St.
Barnabas reached another milestone on the road to accessibility last Sunday at
a Special Vestry Meeting (September 23rd, 2012). A motion introduced by our Parish
Council to purchase architectural drawings was passed with a vote of 75% in
favour. What preceded the vote
was, in my opinion, a frank and fruitful discussion about differing opinions on
the scope of the project, the needs of our parish, and shared hopes that might
be met with the completion of our Building to Grow the Church project of
accessibility.
As
with most things worth doing the growing pains involved in the process of
dialogue were evident. There were those
present who were not in favour of proceeding with the scope of the project as
proposed by the building team. An
amendment to the original motion, which would have put a hold on purchasing
drawings until the scope of the project was revisited, was defeated. As the “moderator” of the meeting I
cannot speak with objectivity as to the success of our attempts to allow
everyone’s voice to be heard, but that was certainly the intent.
From
my perspective the aim of introducing more transparency to the process was as
important, if not more so, that the voting results. We, as a parish, must be directly aware of both sides of the
argument in situations such as this.
We must treat them with equal respect. We must accord their proponents with utmost deference
thereby creating the possibility that not just one dimension of accessibility
will be achieved – the physical dimension.
While
that is, in and of it self, a significant goal, the manner in which we
negotiate the differences of opinions and opposing views which always exist in
undertakings such as this will witness just as plainly to whether or not we
will have achieved real accessibility across all barriers: physical and emotional. We will not be able to make the claim of being accessible if
we close each other off. It is
well and good to desire an accessible building. But in the long run it will be
very counterproductive if we do not make every effort to create a space to air
our opinions reverently along the way.
There
are some on both sides of the vote who are not satisfied with the results. And we should respect that reality in
the manner in which we proceed.
Especially as we honour the merit of others’ arguments or the way someone
else feels about this project.
These MUST be appreciated, heard and, if compelled by the force of
reason, adopted.
I
do not think I exaggerate when I say that we live in an age of polarity: A time
when levels of public discourse have fallen to the extent that our culture is
very comfortable embracing such things as personality assassination as an
acceptable means of winning an argument.
This did not occur at our meeting and it is NOT our way. We are called to live by a standard
which will not allow such things, and our practices should not be hesitant in
steering away from such behaviours.
My
joy on Sunday lay in the manner in which we achieved things. I am immensely proud of the way we
treated each other at last Sunday’s Special Vestry. As a long time musician I am reminded that “practice makes
perfect.” I trust that as we
become more practiced at such things we will be able to abandon the notion of
winning and losing votes and prayerfully see such tests of the bonds of our
affection as grace filled opportunities to grow into the fullness of our
calling to be the Body of Christ.
There
will be other moments of contention in the future of this project, of that I am
quite certain. However, I hope
that each such moment will afford us the opportunity to learn that as important
as our Building to Grow the Church project may, or may not be; it will be
little to us if we are not accessible to each other as a place of God’s
love made flesh, along the way.
Peace,
François
