A place to always call ‘home’

I have lived in a lot of places (many states in the North and South, and even overseas). There are certain geographic nuances that make particular places different, but the common denominator that I’ve noticed that makes every place special is when people come together for a greater cause than themselves. Likewise, what makes a place forgettable is when petty politics and selfishness impede the force for good, when individual and collective spirit is thwarted.

Therefore the best times I remember about College Avenue Baptist Church and the City of Lenoir were the group projects: superior ratings at band and chorus contests, church youth group mission trips and choir concerts, civic projects such as the community coming together for the 2008 winning bid to make Lenoir an All-American City, neighbors coming over in the summer to help string beans, to help when someone got laid-off from a job, or when folks gathered to take care of a sick or grieving neighbor.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to witness group events of extraordinary magnitude. I experienced the Alpine Village, the gift that College Avenue Baptist Church presented to the community. What a joy it was to see all age ranges working together unselfishly on a noble goal, and to see the attendees bounding through the Alpine streets with joyful and bright eyes. Sunday afternoon, I also had the opportunity to hear the concert by the extraordinary Harper Band as it also gave back to the community. Both were rare treats for this Florida resident, and I left wondering, “Does Lenoir know what it has”? I can’t imagine why employers from across the nation aren’t lining up to build companies in Lenoir. Lenoir is a very special place filled with such a loving spirit ... THE loving Spirit.

Any city or place can have its challenges when it’s individuals and leaders don’t understand that challenging the group (and having group goals) is just as important as individualistic goals. As we grow in life, we realize that what is real is the spirit and spirituality (in the purest form) seen in the hearts of its persons and groups. This weekend I witnessed two rare and fantastic group events where teamwork and community spirit were overflowing in a Christmas cornucopia. The leaders of these groups should be commended for seeing a vision, communicating the vision, and letting the Spirit flow!

College Avenue’s and Lenoir’s shining hours are those moments, past, present, and future, when persons and people have chosen to set lofty goals and work together for the greater good of all. I believe that College Avenue Church and Lenoir have done this better than most churches and communities. And, this synergy has instilled a sense of teamwork into countless throngs of children (high school and college graduates) who are now adults and who are either in Lenoir or who have left Lenoir and now have the opportunity to serve the world in communities that need help in listening to a higher calling, forging the way as a united team, and knowing in this new-found joy, that any place can be “College Avenue and Lenoir special.”

Norman Rockwell would have been proud this weekend, and “yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.” All of this and love is still there in the picturesque City of Lenoir, N.C., where there is never really a stranger, where every visitor is welcome, and where former residents can always come “home.”

J. Neal Isaac, Ph.D.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.