My girl friend from college was staying with her sister and brother in law for the weekend. She was on an assignment for her course in child psychology. Her project: Observe how little children interpret the world around them.
One of the observations was unplanned. Her four year old nephew, Ben, unashamedly opened the bathroom door and entered, to the surprise of his aunt. Although a bit startled, his aunt was able to use the occasion to help Ben understand the concept of privacy.
“Ben, when people close the door, that means they would like to have their privacy.” Ben acknowledged his aunt’s instruction and went his way. The issue seemed to be settled.
Later that afternoon, Ben’s mother noticed his bedroom door closed. That was a bit unusual, she thought. She proceeded to open it to check on her son.
“Ben, are you all right?” she asked in a tone of concern.
Ben looked up and in a matter of fact voice said, “Mom, I closed my door because I want my own private city.”
That serendipity is as instructive as it is winsome. It is both appropriate and polite to respect another’s privacy. But there comes a time in a culture when the concept of privacy can hinder the equally appropriate sense of community. It can stifle cooperative participation in the responsibilities of the community. Attitudes such as my world, my choice eventually produce the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Like young Ben, people today seem to crave their own private city.
From the first chapter of my layman’s commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Destroying Our Private Cities, Building Our Spiritual Life
. Here’s a free downloadable (pdf) file, “Putting Jesus Back into Our Potential.”
Posted by Chip Anderson at 05:18 AM. Filed under: In the Margins • Social and Cultural •
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