Dear friends,
Sara was checking out her surroundings as she had just moved into the neighbourhood. She noticed many young people joyfully utilising the basketball and street soccer courts and several others playing catch or chatting in small groups around a playground. A few metres from her, a boy simply dropped his bag on the floor and ran toward the playground when his friends beckoned. Fearing that the bag will be misplaced, she picked it up and placed it next to her as she continued observing the youthful energy in her neighbourhood.
15 minutes later, this boy came back looking for his bag and when he did not see it where he had dropped it, he looked worried and concerned. Sara then approached him and explained that she had kept watch over his bag and the next time, he should not be leaving it on the floor indiscriminately because he might really lose it. She then handed the bag over and the boy simply grabbed it and ran off.
Sara was annoyed by the boy’s response and mumbled to herself that young people could certainly learn some manners. As she was still trying to make sense of the encounter and her feelings of annoyance, the boy reappeared without his bag but with a packet of green tea for her as a gesture of thanks.
“Don’t judge others too quickly,” Sara concluded as she related the story to us. “The children in the neighbourhood probably just need some care and attention so that they do not get up to mischief,” she added. This encounter has persuaded Sara that she could do something to keep these children in her neighbourhood out of harm’s way. Thus, she has applied to be on our community fellowship programme where she will receive training and mentoring to implement a year-long project that alleviates a concern in her neighbourhood.
“Diving deeper…for treasure :)” was a training session attended by Sara and 4 others on the programme where they learnt to frame their concerns and then to question that framing. We were not looking for answers partly because there are no easy answers to a social concern but mainly, we wanted to impress on these fellows that questions help us to broaden and deepen our thinking.
One result from this approach that we were glad for was the active participation of these fellows. When the session began, everyone said that they found it difficult speaking up in a group and they did not know enough to have an opinion on issues. Well, if one does not know, one should ask questions and so questioning reflected thoughtful participation.
Another outcome of the session that cheered us was how participants also questioned each other’s framing of an issue. The well-being of children who spend long hours at the playground without adult supervision was a concern raised by fellows from 2 different neighbourhoods. When one neighbourhood voiced that children are safest when they are at home, the other suggested that children should be engaged in conversation to determine what is in their best interest.
Questioning is reasoning and in time every fellow will come to realise that they have it in them to reason.
For peace and community.
Gerard
Questions create the space for something new to emerge. Answers, especially those that respond to our need for quick results, while satisfying, shut down the discussion, and the future shuts down with them. – Peter Block