Finding Community at the Holly Bush

We have a monstrosity in our front yard. It’s a twenty-five foot holly bush that is part of the fabric of our neighborhood. “I remember when that tree was planted”, being interpreted, “Don’t you dare cut that bush down or you will have single handedly ruined the neighborhood.” So instead of cutting it down, we have instead embraced our holly bush over the last year. It’s a beautiful Christmas ornament, gives us some privacy, is a sanctuary for birds and provides a land mark for someone finding the house. “Just look for the super-sized holly bush.” People still miss it. No one can believe a bush is so big.

Over the last couple of years it has gotten unruly so this summer I took on the task of conquering it. With my manly electronic hedge trimmer in hand I attacked it with reckless abandon starting with the bottom ring. Then I steadily worked upward until I was reaching as high as possible perched on an aluminum ladder. My dear wife provided support below while shouting instructions up to me. “You missed some to your right.” “It needs trimming at knee level.” “That looks good.” Over three days we maneuvered around and around the holly bush but lacked the height need to reach the very top. It took on the look of a spiked haircut – very trendy, very modern, very artsy.

What we didn’t realize was that the trimming of the Holley bush had become a community fascination and sensation. Our professional logger neighbor good naturedly “encouraged” us from across the street. Then he came over to offer us his ladder. The next door neighbor commented with a chuckle in his voice, “I think you missed some on top.” Other neighbors were full of comments. “I can’t believe you trimmed that on your own” and “I kept looking out the window to make sure you hadn’t fallen off” and “Our landscaper said there was no way he would trim that tree without a cherry picker.” Even former neighbors got into the act, “I drove by earlier. It looked like you were doing a high wire act.”

The neighborhood is becoming community in other ways too. Dan brought over his front end loader to move some dirt, insisted Maria operate it and then spread the top soil in our garden. Our Nepalese neighbors came bearing a gift of yogurt stirred into ice water and a soil scientist came over to analyze the garden.

Interesting…amazing how just living life together begins to create neighborliness and community. Wonder if there’s an insight for us as the Body of Christ? Oh by the way, the spiked hair did get trimmed. A firefighter friend brought over his thirty-two foot ladder. More community at the Holly bush.