I have a confession to make. About three months ago, I launched a campaign known as “Render Unto Athena,” in which I suggested a coordinated response to a controversial piece of federal legislation. In response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, I proposed community-wide capitalization and reinvestment of our tax breaks. However, in so doing, I fear I may have committed the error which attends all idealistic visioning—imagining that community wellness could be tapped as a counterforce to the gravity of self-preservation.
In presenting the “Render Unto Athena” campaign, I acknowledge that I limited my communiques to possibility and ignored the issue of probability. In setting forth the sum of $84 million that we could raise over the next seven years, I invited all of you to imagine with me the possibilities for our town. The question that I consistently posed was, “What could we do with $84 million?”
If I’m to be transparent, though, there was another question raised almost as soon as I shared this idea. The question that I had reflected back to me was not what could be done with the money, but rather whether such a sum could even be raised in our community. I even heard from faith leaders—whose livelihoods depend upon community charity—that “I just don’t think that people are going to part ways with this money.” Some others admitted that they felt that their pockets were being reached into, and a defensive and protectionist impulse was inadvertently and unfortunately activated.
Attendant to this observation is the question of whether we have an institution capable of facilitating the process. In other words, is there a group to which 40,000 households would faithfully “Render Unto Athena?” In my deliberations with my close associates and colleagues, I have to admit we have yet to identify one. However, mine is an incomplete circle, and so I stop short of answering that question conclusively. Instead, I will ask you to search your hearts for an answer to both it and a related question. For, assuming for a minute that a trusted home for the funds could actually be identified, the question we will each be left to answer for ourselves is, “Why wouldn’t I participate?”
I can’t help but imagine that a low-grade distrust is fueling the hesitance of some, as the question “What are THEY going to do with the money?” is by far the most frequent one I’ve encountered. The reality to which I’ve tried to call attention is the fact that there is no THEY with this campaign. WE can do whatever we want with these funds that are being returned to US by OUR federal government. However, doing anything resembling what I’d proposed will require an unprecedented level of trust. WE have to believe in ourselves enough to know that WE can address our communal interests, and that we can work across the racial, economic and political divides that render “Render Unto Athena” improbable.
My fellow Athenians, I believe that we can, in this moment, show ourselves faithful to our self-image. However, I would not that my faith in us should prevent me from asking the question of you. And so, I open it here, asking simply, “Are we ready for ‘Render Unto Athena’?” If not, then why not? And, what would it take? And who could we blame if we didn’t?
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