Spreading Manure

I enjoy the scents of spring—freshly cut grass, blooming flowers, plowed soil, manure… Ok, maybe not the last one. I live near cornfields that are annually fertilized with manure. For weeks, the odor permeates the whole neighborhood. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve just learned to accept it as part of farming. At least the manure is being used productively, to grow crops. Otherwise, it would just sit in a pile and still stink up the environment. 

“Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly.” (from Crazy Love, by Francis Chan)

This statement can be applied to a variety of congregations. Whether you are part of a religious, ethnic, or political group, when members flock together, things get funky. It’s like their worst characteristics are distilled and concentrated under the pressure to conform. Mob mentality overtakes individual thought. Judgmentalism and legalism drown out compassion and tolerance. Groupthink squashes authenticity, creativity, and responsibility.

So then, is there no value in living as a community, in fellowship, with like-minded people? Yes and no. I think small groups of individuals, supporting and encouraging each other toward good, can be beneficial. On the other hand, even a small gang of thugs can cause a lot of trouble if they are bent on doing evil. In larger organizations, there is very little opportunity to nourish each other. The identity and promotion of the group agenda stifle the dignity and uniqueness of the individual members.

Even though it’s tempting to cluster together with like-minded people, in the long run, it just leads to stagnation and suffocation. Instead, congregate with those who have divergent religious and political viewpoints. Hang out with people that don’t belong to your ethnic or racial group. Live near individuals who are of different socioeconomic backgrounds. Spread out, fertilize, and grow.