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7
Jun
2017
Road re-construction seems to me to bear distinct parallels to the way churches, political parties, and community organizations operate.
Most social reconstruction follows the “pave it over” model. The old road – the old beliefs, the old ways of doing things, the tried-and-true constitutions and policies of the past – continue to exist under the fresh new face. Or policy.
In churches, the kind of organizations I know best, this means that a 2000-year-old pre-scientific-age text continues to underlie all major decisions. Creeds almost as old remain untouchable.
Similarly, political parties elect new leaders, lay out new platforms. But old prejudices and ideologies still lurk just below the surface.
Occasionally, though, some groups try to start from zero, like building a new highway. But they first have to clear away any broken components of the former road. They have to dig deep to establish root principles. They have to expand that foundation with layers of interpretation.
Categories: Soft Edges
Tags: roads, organizations