In his recent book, Dedicated, author Pete Davis noted how those we most often admire carry, at their core, a set of unshakeable commitments or deep set of beliefs. These long-haul heroes have simply kept at it for years or even decades in their quest for creating a kinder world.
Today, numerous cultural forces push against our commitments to the long-haul. Our lives are, in many ways, burdened by distraction, infiltrated by short-term needs, and, in some cases, satisfaction.
We browse. We scroll. We sample. We enjoy. But, what we rarely do is commit to the dedication of building community. It’s hardly a new phenomenon. In fact, Robert Putnam first drew attention to this trend in his bestselling book, published in 2000, Bowling Alone. His points were prescient, his warnings clear.
This is where we need to step up. This is where we need to, as best and as humbly as we can, point towards a different way, a new path.
This new path cannot be, solely, an intellectual exercise. It must, instead, be true community building, a commitment to service – not just talking about the way but joyously walking it. In short, it is about action more than thought. You cannot scroll by this. There is no browsing. We, as a community, need buy-in, commitment.
The recipe for community building is not complicated. It simply means showing up, committing to companionship, serving selflessly the common good as God gives us to see it… doing that all with a disciplined, rugged, weathered stick-to-it-ness. Ask yourself, do you have the community commitment it takes to build a kinder world? Are you in for the long-haul?
Through years of doing these simple tasks of dedication and perseverance, what do we become over time? Long-haul heroes.
