The People are the Economy- Dan Mills

Dear Editor:

I have pastored many Churchs'. I wish to tell my story of two which I shall
both call St.James.

St.James 1 was an older smaller one and cosmetically deprived.I attended my
first meeting, and heard the Chair plead for a "runner" for the aisle. Long
discussion, and then a yes for such purchase. With a great sigh, the Chair
expressed with almost jubilation:"There now,we're getting somewhere!" We all
were relieved and never thought we'd hear of it again.

Subsequently, as if an opening prayer we were to hear: "Now we have the
runner; we're getting somewhere." A short few years later a major renovation
was engaged, and I saw the runner lying on the ground in someones back yard.

St.James 11 preceded several years the one above. The little Church was a
work in progress built by the people as time and resources were available.
When I arrived, they had just accessed a large roll of carpet for the
sanctuary but had not yet had time to lay it.

In my early days of getting around to find and meet the people, I offered a
hitchhiker (who was quite ill) a drive to his home a distance from the
highway. When we arrived at his home in a small fishing village, he invited
me to come in to meet his wife and family, five children all of school age.
The main floor, though clean, was as bare-bones as you could get.

The couple told me of their struggles, and offered to show me the upper
floor where all the children slept. Bare walls and studs,one could see the
daylight through the outside walls. Not a speck of insulation to be seen.
But even worse ? The old rough floor with cracks and splinters upon which
these children had to walk!

A day or two later, I met a young UCC Minister whose Charge covered pretty
much the same as mine. I asked if he knew these people, and of their
situation. He had recently heard of it, but like me,knew not what he could
do.

We decided on a plan to reach out to our respective faith communities, and
to the personnel at a small Military Stn.nearby. In a few short days,
Rev.Don and I had a team in place worth more than its weight in gold.In a
week or so, people had traversed two counties solliciting materials and
furnishings, and in free evenings and a weekend or so,the job was all but
done except for that splintered floor.

I took it back to my small community with an update, and this still one
need. They looked at each other; they looked at me;they looked at their roll
of carpet, and without a blink in unison,almost, they said: "We'll use
this!"

I struggle with the misguided notion by our leaders that our first need is
to "build the economy" no matter what the cost to the people. I, to my dying
breath,will submit that "people are the economy of a Municipality,a
Province,or a Nation! Look after people, and the economy will find itself!"

My two St.James communities saw economy with far different eyes. Which one
do you think was right? Which one understood the mission?

Daniel Mills