By Alex Breitkopf, Program Supervisor in Hamilton, ON
“Escape either into specialization or into solitude is illusory.” As someone who has studied the Bible for nearly a decade in academic settings, Wendell Berry’s words (given here at a commencement address at Centre College) give me a much-needed correction to a system that often prizes specialization and disconnection above all else. Many of Berry’s ideas frame my thinking and no less so than in my work for A Rocha in Ontario, where I can combine my academic studies in theology with a work that seeks to practically engage the world.
It was with this ethos in mind, that I recently presented a paper on the sacralization of our cities at a recent theological conference for the Canadian American Theological Association, October 21 in Rochester, NY. The basic premise of the paper was that the flourishing of life is a concept inherent in biblical thoughts of holiness and the sacred, and to make a city sacred (sacralize it) we need to encourage the flourishing of all its inhabitants, human and non-human alike. As much as this was an academic paper, I wanted to make it practical and, so, I concluded by exploring ways that A Rocha, and others, are encouraging life to flourish in the city of Hamilton. It was a wonderful opportunity to theologically reflect upon the work I had been engaged in over the summer.
And it was intimidating! My primary study for the last decade has been the Bible, and so it was a bit daunting to speak about ecological issues to an audience (I later found out!) that included environmental specialists: environmental lawyers and those working with industry on groundwater remediation. Few academics I know are comfortable speaking outside of their area of specialization, and I am no different. But it was a great experience, and some invigorating conversation followed from the paper that furthered my thinking on the matter. In the end, it was a challenge for me to move beyond my specialization, but it was very much worth it. As he often is, I find that Berry is right in this. Solitude is an illusion, and no less so in academic study. I am grateful to be able to conduct my studies in an organization that seeks to embody God’s love for the world and the flourishing of its people and places.
