Last year, Crookwell Uniting Church received nearly $8000 from the NSW Moderator’s Drought Relief Fund for use in our local community. In news surprising to perhaps no one we have struggled to find ways to use this money in a community of people willing to help but not to be helped.
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I am always astounded by the generosity of the Upper Lachlan community when it comes to supporting those going through a hard time. I suspect that many of us, whether church-goers or not, take seriously the teaching of Jesus that you should ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’
What we are much worse at is letting our neighbour love us.
Unfortunately, I think we often mistake stubbornness for resilience, and pride for strength.
And around the district these last 12 months I have often heard repeated the myth that the drought ‘isn’t that bad’ in Crookwell; that ‘there are plenty of others worse off than me’; and that ‘if you are in trouble in Crookwell, it is really more bad management than drought.’
I’m never quite sure who these statements are made to convince; me or the person saying them.
I acknowledge that perhaps they are said to help people cope. The problem is, they don’t.
And I think it is time to call this myth out for what it is.
Whenever we say things like the above, and whenever out of pride or stubbornness we refuse to let others help us, we create an environment in which accepting the generosity of another is seen as a sign of weakness.
If we really want to love our neighbours then we need to start letting ourselves be loved as well.
After all, if I won’t accept my neighbour’s help, why should they accept mine?
