"Breaking Ground" (Anne Snyder and Susannah Black, editors)

TITLE: Breaking Ground: Charting Our Future in a Pandemic Year
AUTHOR: (Anne Snyder and Susannah Black, editors)
PUBLISHER: Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2022, (400 pages).

If there is any specific life-changing event at the turn of this decade, it would nonetheless be Covid-19. Never before have there been so many deaths, fears, disruptions to the local economy, and global repercussions for the general public, businesses, friends, families, and loved ones. From multinational corporations to non-profits like charities and churches, the arms of the pandemic have spread like wildfires affecting every continent, every country, and every culture. In early 2020, a group of thoughtful individuals came together to ask the question: "What would a post-pandemic world look like?" Refusing to accept a mere "Things will never be the same again," the contributors boldly attempt to see the future through renewed thinking of the many facets of life we have often taken for granted. That is not all. Even after removing the pandemic factor, there remains a deep-seated self-deception among people that they are presumed correct until proven otherwise. That sets the stage for arrogance and pride that refuses to learn, to the detriment of our future generations. We need a way to help us humbly learn from our mistakes and to break new ground for growth and human progress. This collection of essays is written by individuals who hail as cultural critics, scholars, speakers, businesspersons, professors, psychologists, philosophers, poets, political observers, professionals, researchers, venture capitalists, and many more. Written between June 2020 to June 2021, the writers explore issues pertaining to three types of needs, the need to:

1. See Clearly and Deeply
2. Learn from the past
3. Imagine the future

Social distancing, isolated, separated, quarantined, and all manner of disconnection are wreaking havoc in society and our relationships. From anti-vaxxers to the protests over mandatory wearing of masks, contributors deal with the issue of peace. The George Floyd protests highlight the underlying tensions and unresolved discriminations that have been papered over in the past. Each lockdown brings out poor human reactions against the government, against people, and against community sensitivity. We cannot continue to deceive our own bubbles of self-reliance and forget the importance of community. We need healing and reconciliation more and more. One way to chart the future is to learn from history. Historian Mark Noll shares how our present crisis is nothing new. In the 6th Century, the Church too had to grapple with a plague, and how that has impacted the way we minister to one another. The Black Death in the 14th Century also scarred much of society and the Church. The key learning is to take "small steps to strengthen" existing establishments; build "positive relationships" with those close to us, and treat society challenges as opportunities for Christian witness. NT Wright warns us against reverting quickly to a same old business as usual mindset after the pandemic. Instead, we ought to recognize the failure of trust in Mammon and to take on the tasks of "growing flowers" rather than cultivating an environment for weeds to flourish. Staying safe individually is one thing. A healthy society is much more important. Like TS Eliot's penetrating statement, "the whole earth is our hospital," this pandemic has exposed the vulnerable faultlines of our individualistic society. It is no longer enough to mind our own business. We need to learn to do our part to love our neighbour. From environmental concerns to human relationships, this book covers a wide variety of issues that demand our attention. 

My Thoughts
Just like the pandemic has affected all parts of society, this book is an honest appraisal of how our existing economic, social, political, and humanistic systems are impacted. While the world tends to hope for a quick return for the good old days of pre-pandemic activity, the pandemic should be an opportunity for us to take stock of our existing systems so that we could tweak them, test them, toss away, or totally transform them. Instead of depending on experts to give us simple scientific solutions to complex social issues, we need the wisdom to deal with these challenges of life. While the pandemic has exposed many issues of society, one of the most polarizing aspects remains political. This is not simply about official political systems, it is also about the use (and abuse) of power throughout society. The George Floyd case is a current example of racial polarizations which, unfortunately, has been exploited by those thirsty for quick political success. Social media too has become a divisive platform. No longer can one simply skirt aside issues of politics and religion. The path forward is to learn to accept and to be generous with our love. 

There is a firm sense of conviction in the articles in the book. Generally, all agree that we are called to be better than what we currently are. The faults in our systems and human relationships have always been there. The pandemic has only exposed them raw which many people would find most uncomfortable. In addressing the injustice surrounding racial discrimination, it takes a violent police beating of George Floyd to spur greater awareness of something we have all known or suspected all along. The political divide between the major political parties continues to battle with each taking positions on each side of any issue, be it vaccines or conspiracy theories. 

The key question of how to increase the common good is best answered by Marilynne Robinson's comments to let the beauty of a vision inspire us not just to do better but to be better than our current selves. More importantly, she urges Christians not to be shy to witness but to be bold in proclaiming Truth as they are. Perhaps, in view of the rising politicization of the evangelical world, there is an opportunity to practice peacemaking and reconciliation among fellow believers. 

Those of us who are familiar with biblical principles would recognize some of the recommendations made by the contributors. Courage, generosity, care, share, compassion, humility, justice, and many virtues as described in the fruit of the spirit, are all in action. There is also an apologetics angle against surrendering public engagement and debate to atheists, agnostics, secularists, or groups that are bent on marginalizing the Christian witness. This book boldly takes the bull of societal challenges by the horns to pave a way of example for the rest of us to do the same. Breaking ground is a clever title. Not only does it break ground for a post-pandemic society, more importantly, but it is also about breaking any hardened hearts in us among possible changes within us and without. 

Anne Snyder is the editor-in-chief of Comment magazine and oversees the project, Breaking Ground. Anne is also a 2020 Emerson Fellow, a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum, and a Fellow at the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, a Houston-based think tank that explores how cities can drive opportunity for the bulk of their citizens. Anne spent the formative years of her childhood overseas before earning a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College (IL) and a master’s degree from Georgetown University. She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

Susannah Black is a senior editor of Plough and has written for publications including First Things, Fare Forward, Front Porch Republic, Mere Orthodoxy, and The American Conservative. She holds a BA from Amherst College and an MA from Boston University.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Plough Publishing House and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.