The empty chair at a community gathering
OPINION — A town can have beautiful public spaces and still leave some of its people feeling outside the circle. A gathering may be lively. A meeting may be well organized. Yet the most important question could be about the neighbor who did not make it through the door.
Fountain Hills has a landscape that encourages people to spend time outdoors and enjoy the company of others. But not everyone reaches community life by the same route. A resident may be caring for a spouse, coping with limited mobility, or finding that a once-simple trip has become difficult.
Jesus once challenged his listeners to think carefully about whom they invited to their tables. His teaching pushed beyond hospitality that is convenient or likely to be repaid. It asked people to notice those who are easily left out.
That principle does not require a grand program to take root. It might begin with a thoughtful ride, a patient explanation of an event, or an invitation that makes clear a person is welcome to arrive late or leave early.
We should not assume that absence means a lack of interest. Sometimes the event is appealing but the path to it is exhausting.
The purpose of a shared space is more than to provide a place where people could gather. It is to make gathering possible.
The empty chair is not always a failure. But it can be a useful question: Who might be here if someone took one more step to include them?
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