WEBVTT

00:00:01.940 --> 00:00:07.280
Hi, there are a lot of things I simply cannot

00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:13.119
do. I cannot fix a leaky toilet. I can't repair

00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:16.820
that engine in my car. And I certainly cannot

00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:20.620
build a house. When I stop and think about it,

00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.780
it's amazing how little I can actually do on

00:00:23.780 --> 00:00:28.620
my own. But I can do a few things. And so can

00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:32.759
you. Now the cool thing is, that neither of us

00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:36.619
have to do everything. We belong to communities.

00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:41.039
One person knows plumbing and another understands

00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.820
electricity. I know neither. Someone teaches

00:00:44.820 --> 00:00:49.359
children and someone grows food. Someone cares

00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.020
for the sick. Each of us contributes something.

00:00:53.259 --> 00:00:57.280
And together, we accomplish far more than any

00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:01.270
of us could alone. Now, math has an interesting

00:01:01.270 --> 00:01:06.430
word for this. Sometimes events are independent.

00:01:07.209 --> 00:01:12.750
One event has no effect on another. But much

00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:17.109
of life is not like that. Our lives are deeply

00:01:17.109 --> 00:01:23.030
connected, deeply dependent. The choices I make

00:01:23.030 --> 00:01:27.310
affect my family. My family affects my neighborhood.

00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:33.000
My neighborhood affects my city. And together,

00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:39.019
we shape the communities where we live. We often

00:01:39.019 --> 00:01:42.700
celebrate independence. But when I look at my

00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:46.760
life, I realize how dependent I am on other people.

00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:51.219
I have benefited from my family and my church,

00:01:51.420 --> 00:01:55.799
my friends and my co -workers. People who have

00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:59.370
encouraged me. and challenged me and helped me

00:01:59.370 --> 00:02:04.209
become who I am today. And as I think about the

00:02:04.209 --> 00:02:08.129
years ahead, I find myself asking a different

00:02:08.129 --> 00:02:12.310
question. Not how can I become more independent,

00:02:12.590 --> 00:02:17.550
but how can I become a better contributor? How

00:02:17.550 --> 00:02:21.229
can I strengthen the communities that have strengthened

00:02:21.229 --> 00:02:25.330
me? And perhaps that's a lesson that uncertainty

00:02:25.330 --> 00:02:29.150
teaches us. None of us knows who will need help

00:02:29.150 --> 00:02:32.830
tomorrow. And over a lifetime, each of us will

00:02:32.830 --> 00:02:38.729
spend seasons receiving and seasons giving. We

00:02:38.729 --> 00:02:42.849
were never meant to do life alone. We are all

00:02:42.849 --> 00:02:46.710
part of communities. So when you think of the

00:02:46.710 --> 00:02:50.210
communities that are important to you, the natural

00:02:50.210 --> 00:02:55.030
question to ask is, how are your daily choices

00:02:55.030 --> 00:02:57.610
helping? these communities flourish.