Dear Friends,
May is slipping away and I am stuck somewhere between a cold spring and a summer who is trying to make an entrance. My gardens might get in by June if I'm that fortunate.
I have been reading quite a bit about communities lately and I am more and more convinced that a successful community can only exist if we take time to listen to, learn about and care for our neighbor. And as Luke writes, "who is my neighbor?"
Well, of course, anyone can be your neighbor and for those of you in the MHI trenches, everyone you meet and care for is your neighbor. And I am encouraged by the model of caring that you present each and every day. You represent the very essence of community and you produce a generous amount of what sociologists call Social Capital. SC is energy, enthusiasm, encouragement, cooperation, support and comfort that one shares with someone else.
The social capital that you produce serves two major purposes. First you are building bonding capital which is used to strengthen your relationships with each other. Then, you also build bridging capital which reaches from your group into the lives of the groups you serve. Amazing and powerful.
So, as I part today, I want you to know that the capital that you build and share is a motivation to all of us associated with your work and I encourage you to feel the love that you create as it comes back on you.
Blessing to you and your families,
Dave
