Ryan's Thought for the Week 1.6.25

Last week I was away with our team at YMCA Camp Thunderbird, outside of Charlotte, NC. The annual Campfire Conference was held there while Blue Ridge Assembly recovers from Hurricane Helene. It was a great time of fellowship and learning with colleagues from around the Southeast and further afield. Campfire Conference is my “summer camp.” I get to see friends, share a meal, and laugh for a few days before returning home and to the “real world.” I often learn something new but, for me, that’s not the driving force behind attending. I’d rather make a new friend I can call in the future when I’m having a challenge than sit in a workshop learning how to address a challenge with a helpful acronym. That’s why I’m surprised, this year, to be returning full of thoughts and ideas and dying to share them with others. 

My thoughts and ideas center on two questions asked of us by various presenters: 

Who is Camp for? 

How can Camp become an agent of peace in our conflicted world? 

In May I will celebrate 23 years of employment with the Y. There are 3 years missing from that number which means I’ve spent well more than half my life working for the Y. So the Y’s Mission—To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all—has been a constant for me. In growing up in this organization, “Christian principles” were always lifted as the two most important words. In recent years two different words have become front and center: “for all.” 

“For all” has also become a rallying cry as we seek to address the systemic inequities in our communities and organizations. It also feels good to know we are working for places and spaces where everyone can belong. It’s also really hard work. Camps are expensive operations and, as a result, it costs a lot of money to be a part of this community. We raise funds to reduce that barrier, but money is only one of the many barriers folks encounter when it comes to sending their kids to overnight camp. 

So who is Camp for? 

Are we for those who can afford it and those who are humble enough to ask for help? Are we a place where kids from marginalized communities feel safe? Are we a place for kids who experience the world in a variety of ways? As we plan for the future, these questions will be guiding my thought process as we seek to build a Camp and a community that embodies our motto of Be Well and Do Good. Which brings me to the second question I’m sitting with: How can Camp become an agent of peace in our conflicted world? I was surprised that I heard this sentiment in multiple workshops and speakers at the conference. Twice we heard this story: After the invasion of Ukraine, the YMCA of Europe reached out to the Ukrainian Y asking “What do you need?” The response: “When all this is over, the first thing we will need is Camp. That’s the best way to forge peace.” Camp as an agent of peace? I’m not sure we’re up to the task. As I’ve sat with this idea, I’ve realized that we are more equipped than I might imagine. Camp is, as Y-USA Camping Practice Lead says: “the safest place…to struggle.” 

“Wait…Ryan I thought you were talking about peace. Why are you talking about struggle?” Peace is the presence of conflict and the absence of violence. At Camp we embrace discomfort and conflict and work diligently to create a space where violence has no place. We do not condone physical, emotional, mental or verbal violence at Camp. I think what the folks in Ukraine were saying is that they will need a place where conflict is welcome and non-violence is the norm. Whew. 

Anyone else need a breath? 

We are living in a time where violence of all sorts pervades the news cycle. We are bombarded with violent words, violent images and violent ideas. Of course, conflict is nearly always at the root of this violence and we are led to believe that pain and suffering is inevitable because of conflict. 

What I see, and what Camp can be, is an antidote to this toxic message. We can hold space for conflict, restore relationships and provide places for growth, without succumbing to the need for violent words or actions. 

As Fr. Richard Rohr says, “The best criticism of the bad, is the practice of the better.” I hope you’ll all join me in discerning what “better” we can create as we dream about who Camp is for and how we can be peacemakers in our communities and our world. 

Peace and blessings to all of you.