The internet, as well as the ever-increasing ability to transport products quickly and cheaply, have left Mom & Pop shops floundering. Our family loves to go to a small beach town in Delaware – Fenwick Island – and one of my favorite places is the local hardware story – it’s like going back in time! And they seem to have just about everything I need – and more – but if a Lowes or Home Depot moved in next door, I doubt Fenwick Hardware would last a year. We’ve seen it across the board, from car dealerships to institutions of higher education to faith communities – it’s tough to be small, and it is getting tougher all the time.
This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is increasing at an alarming rate. The majority of small churches where I live have either closed or gone so part-time that they can’t find a pastor. The struggle has always been real, though – as I was watching “The Bishop’s Wife” (1947) I caught a theme I had heard before but glossed over – that it’s so hard for small churches to thrive while cathedrals (and mega-churches) are being built. The small church in the movie – St. Timothy’s – was dying from neglect, one character said. And the fund-raiser they were planning wouldn’t solve the problem. It’s tough to be small in a world obsessed with size and filling the wants and needs of consumerism.
One way we can help is to support our neighborhood churches and businesses – and while small-business Saturday is a nice start, maybe we could be more intentional about spending more time and money in locally owned businesses and less on Amazon. I know how difficult that is – I often go to two or three local stores to find something before I – reluctantly – order on-line. Still – while it isn’t wrong to shop on-line or at mega-stores, it just feels better to me when I can support my neighbors. And sure, that mega-church might have an awesome rock band, but our local faith communities are often serving God in amazing ways. Attend worship – give your money – volunteer to help lead a program. Because being small gets a little easier when our actions match our words.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for giving us the ability to choose wisely and to help our neighbors. Amen.
Today’s art is “Small and Mighty” by Remley Martin.