We just got the good news that the Montgomery County Council has voted to remove the M83 highway from the master plan of highways and transit ways. That means Dayspring has been saved from any future possibility of having a major highway running parallel to the creek that feeds Merton’s Pond near the retreat center.
For years, Margaret Schoap and the TAME Coalition of interested organizations have been attending hearings, producing film clips, inviting Council members to walk the land at Dayspring, and inviting us to regular prayers for this outcome — and finally it has happened!
In the text for this week, abundant harvest had narrowed the landowner’s vision to I, me, my, and mine.* He even orders his Soul around rather than listening for its guidance. The rich man is unaware of God’s grace: that the land and climate produced his wealth; that life was enriched by awe and relationships. Then he is shocked to learn that he would not live to enjoy the fruits of his labor. In case we are about to miss the point of the parable, Luke says it plainly: “Life does not consist of the abundance of things.”
The landowner’s failure is not his wealth. It is his limited vision. He fails to notice that he is living within God’s good creation with God’s gracious gift of life itself. It seems to me that the decision just made by the Montgomery County Council is a recognition that once the swath of greenspace (which included Dayspring) was destroyed, it would never again be available. Their vision widened beyond transportation and development to include the precious gift of open space and natural beauty that Dayspring and contiguous park space offers.
We can all give thanks for the hard work and unknown connections that have made this decision possible. We can share this good news and know that life is indeed more than the abundance of things.
-- Marjory Zoet Bankson, Editor of InwardOutward
For More
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Where is there a bountiful harvest in your life?
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How do you respond to that?
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How do you consult with your Soul?
