Communities First

How often does the Division Chief of a County-Wide Fire Department, in charge of the Employee & Community Affairs Division, asks a Christian Community Developer to help the fire department reach the communities in meaningful and influential ways?

WELL, at least once, and I was blown-away.  She was asking me to train members of their battalion on how to Asset Map the communities they serve.  Truly, God is already at work in our communities.  He’s already provided the stone needed to make “Stone Soup.”

Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.

"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "Better keep moving on."

"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.

"Ahh," the soldier said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Capital!" cried the soldier. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."

The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day.

Traditional Portuguese Folktale 

Just like in the story, if everyone in a community works together and contributes something, even if it’s just a little, wonderful things can happen and a greater good can be achieved. 

As community developers we are catalysts for the community. Just like the soldier in the story we facilitate the community in organizing and working towards goals.  The praise should be reserved for the community, not the catalyst. The villagers tried to buy the “magic” stone, thinking that the stone somehow created the soup. But the soldier knew, and we know, the ability to make the soup was already present in the community. The citizens just needed some coaxing.

When we let people in the community be a part of our success it becomes THEIR success. Imagine, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what kind of amazing “soup” this community can make if everyone pitches in and works together.

DP