Wednesday, August 18, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
competing visions of what it
should look like and none of
these have achieved a cultural
consensus. It is not because
we don9t believe in justice,
but we have lost our rationale
for it. And we have become
logically inconsistent.
Most would still mimic
<All men are created equal.=
But do we really believe
that? The statement implies
Creator/Designer 4 and pur-
pose. If you wear a watch and
I asked you if it was a good
watch, you would say yes if
it told accurate time. If you
used your watch to hammer
nails, you would probably
say it wasn9t a very good
watch. The watch has a pur-
pose created by the designer.
When it fulfills its purpose
we all smile.
If we too are created/
designed, finding our pur-
pose would begin to provide
a rationale for justice. What is
good or bad behavior? What
are the rules? What conse-
quences should follow? What
rewards? How do we create a
just society? How do we help
everyone to live justly and
flourish? Where do we find
answers to these questions?
Current justice theories
swing from an emphasis on
individualism (you are totally
the product of your individual
choices) to collectivism (you
are wholly the product of
social forces and structures).
Like all theories they have
some value, but as extreme
standalones they end up cre-
ating guillotines and gulags
Cultivating
Community
IN SISTERS
Steve Stratos
Columnist
Whose justice?
As we look back on
our country9s beginnings,
a majority of us would
agree, the Declaration of
Independence was founda-
tional to the success of our
nation. History confirms this
consensus, assuring us that
abiding by the self-evident
truths that <all men are cre-
ated equal= should help
everyone in the pursuit of
Life, Liberty, and Happiness.
We organized around
these truths to create a just
society. Creating a cultural
consensus seemed to make
sense.
Today we face a consen-
sus problem when it comes
to justice. What is fair? How
do you define human rights?
What is justice? While call-
ing for justice we have many
4 confusion and destruction.
Similar to the watch being
used as a hammer.
If America9s justice sys-
tem seems broken, maybe we
need to go back to the watch-
maker. All the individual
parts, unique and perfect, are
designed for a specific pur-
pose. They serve the watch-
maker9s desire for efficiency,
freedom, and harmony. But
to achieve this, all the parts
must work together for a
greater purpose 4 to tell the
right time.
Individualism is a beauti-
ful thing, but it comes with
responsibility. Like the inner
workings of a watch, we
humans need to work together
to create harmony for the col-
lective, the community. This
is the beginning of justice and
human flourishing.
So maybe in going
back to the Declaration of
Independence, we can find
some rationale for true equal-
ity and justice 4 and for
what made the American
experiment work. Here we
will not find a perfect society,
but one that started with a
good foundation. Let9s build
on that foundation 4 not
cancel it! Yes, we have work
to do! But let9s do it purpose-
fully, thoughtfully, lovingly,
and justly.
We have a Watchmaker!
And every individual part is
created perfectly for the right
time!
Steve Stratos is the pas-
tor of Sisters Community
Church.
9
High Desert Chorale
ready to sing out
Wish for some harmony in
your life? It might be time to
join the Sisters High Desert
Chorale and make some joy-
ful noise. The Chorale is
set to begin rehearsals next
month for music to bring in
the Christmas season.
The Chorale is a com-
munity-based group of
singers who gather to prac-
tice then present concerts
in December celebrating
the holiday season. Singers
of all ages and abilities
are welcome to the group.
These free concerts resume
a Sisters tradition that sig-
nals the start of the holi-
day season for many local
residents.
The Chorale has been a
longtime hallmark of cho-
rale excellence in a town
that embraces art in all its
forms. Under the direction of
Connie Gunterman and with
accompanist Donna Moyer,
the Chorale offers music that
celebrates the Christmas sea-
son and brings good cheer to
all who attend. This year will
be especially welcome to our
community after quarantines
created a <silent night= last
year.
Weekly Monday-night
practices start September
20 at Sisters Community
Church, 1300 McKenzie
Hwy., 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Members of the Chorale
ask that prospective sing-
ers be vaccinated against
COVID-19.
Concerts will be held
at Sisters Community
Church on December 3 and
December 5.
For more information
contact Connie Gunterman
at 541-588-0362.
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