It was a joy and privilege to be invited to Tiara’s (name changed for privacy) beautiful home this evening, Earth Day, April 22, 2024. Everything in her house was precious and priceless.
I noticed the all-wood ironing board–“oh, I got that from my mother’s place.”
“What are those jugs that you have on the shelves?” “Oh, they’re water jugs. My mother kept finding them at thrift stores and flea markets. The actual jug belonged to my grandmother. I’m scared to use it. She knows that if I accidentally break one, I’ll be sad. So I keep that away safely and use these when I need to.” [I’m paraphrasing Tiara’s comments]
I could go on: the old rotary telephone, a relic from a bygone era, placed artfully on a side table, the low lighting that set the tone for intimate exchanges among us colleagues, the wonderful strawberry shortcake and cream (with sweet raspberries), the antique round mirror that ‘hung on my mother’s house while I was growing up’ that didn’t go to her brother because Tiara had first pick as the older sibling. Each of these items had a unique story, a unique place in Tiara’s heart and home, and it was these stories that made them come alive, that gave them their value and significance.
It struck me that all these beautiful things were valuable because Tiara was attached to them. As humans, we are attached not merely to one another, but things enhance, translate, and make real that value. We experience love and joy through the things we make, give away, choose to keep, and put on display. Each item in Tiara’s home seemed to hold a story, a memory, a piece of her heart. It made me realize that the value of these things was not merely in their material worth but in the dynamic connection they represented.
Humans, as meaning-makers, give things their significance. We bring them in touch with the larger reality of which they are a part. In this way, we are the connective tissue that joins stuff on earth and in heaven–this is what it means to be created in the image of God. Our special place in the economy of God’s creation is to make the connection, to weave together the story by connecting things with other things and people, and to share in the joy of an interconnected reality that connects all things according to the Creator’s grand story that is continually growing and expanding to include all things.
If Tiara had merely accumulated things and the things did not have a story connection to her life with others, it would have been the opposite of precious–junk and trash. Now, even if Tiara were to forget one of those stories, the memory of that story lives through sharing it with me and the others tonight. That’s what makes it all so beautiful. Each item in Tiara’s home was not just a random object, but a piece of her history, a symbol of her relationships and experiences. It was this personal connection that made these items precious, not their physical attributes.
Thank you, Tiara, for your generous hospitality, the stories you shared, and the things you make and share. We’re all the richer today because now we’re all a little more a part of each other’s story-in-the-making, waiting for another day to tell stories and share in adding value to one another and the things and places we inhabit.
Happy Earth Day! Celebrate the Creator Earth.
