I had the privilege of attending a talk by David Brooks when he was in town this week. Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times and writes often about community and its importance in these fractured times. Brooks points to many indicators of how isolated so many of us are in this culture and how we have come to distrust not only institutions like a government that are supposed to help bring people together but also each other. All of this leads to further and further isolation.

Brooks, in his talk, shared a number of examples of people taking charge of building a community around them. It doesn’t start with the big institutions like government necessarily but with individuals working with others to build those bonds of connection. Brooks is part of an organization called Weave, which is part of the Aspen Institute, and it promotes the kinds of bonds that are so much needed right now.

Community has been on my mind this week since I heard the news that Barry Sutton died last Sunday evening. Some of you may remember Barry. He was a fixture here at the church for a long time—going back at least to the 1980s. Barry was houseless and part of not only our community but involved in faith communities all over the city. Barry had a way of showing up at events, especially if food was being served.

Barry always had a special place in my heart. When I was a young minister in the mid-90s, the congregation had three services every Sunday morning to accommodate all the people. These were lively times in the years after the church wrapped its block with a ribbon and declared our campus a hate-free zone in response to anti-gay ballot measures here in Oregon at the time. So, in those days, all the services were held in Eliot Chapel, and the first was at 8:30 in the morning. So one cold Sunday morning, I was coming to church, probably around 7:30, and walking along the side of the chapel along Salmon Street about to round the corner to the front of the Chapel. It was then that I heard Barry’s voice asking the houseless folks who were sleeping in front of the church if they could move along so that we could get ready for church. What I remember was how kind and courteous but also persistent Barry was as he made the request. He saw it as part of his role to make community in this congregation.

Being with Barry was not always so easy. Whenever we’d have speakers here, he was often the first to ask questions, some direct and to the point. Barry could also get immersed in one conspiracy theory or another and could not let it go. But Barry was also immersed in the day’s issues and brought curiosity and indignation to the plight of so many near and far. He embodied a commitment to community in his being and his living.

Our congregation will be hosting a celebration of Barry’s life in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for details as they get worked out. Barry was part of not only this congregation but several around the city, including Jewish and Buddhist congregations, the Friends meeting, the peace community, and others. I don’t recall when so many faith groups have come together quite like this. That in itself is a tribute to Barry’s life.

So, in these times when there is so much that would trouble, may we find that place of gratitude for our community and for communities that bring us together and call us out of our isolation. May we do our parts to nurture them and the bonds they help us create.

In faith,

Rev. Thomas Disrud (he/him)

Associate Minister, First Unitarian Portland