I ‘ve had several opportunities this summer to enjoy some quiet moments on porches.  Not too long ago, I sampled my brother – -in-law’s porch in Bethesda, Maryland, not far from Washington DC.  The day was just right – not too hot, not cold, not very humid.  The porch furniture was just right – lovely couches that allowed me to sit up or lie back,  tall glass of sweet-tea close to the elbow.  The surround-sound soundtrack gave me birds, lawnmowers, airplanes, and an occasional car wandering down the street on the outdoor channel, while the murmur of voices reminded me of family members busy at various tasks inside the house.  Light patterns shifted with alternating clouds and sun, punctuated by an occasional summer rain shower that left almost as soon as it came.

It was a perfect place and a perfect time for reading – and I made the most of it.

This experience started me thinking about porches.  What a wonderful feature in a house – not terribly expensive, I don’t think – and I am wondering why most ‘modern’ homes have given up this bridge between house and street, between home and neighborhood, between family and friends.   You see, a porch is different from a deck.  The porch is usually on the front of the house, rather than the back.  Having the roof extended over it, the porch is part of the house, while your normal deck is part of the yard.  As such – as a part of the house that is open to the world, the porch has a unique role to play.  The porch offers a secure perch from which to view – and experience – the world.  You can taste the weather, without getting wet in the rain.  You can hear the birds.  You can enjoy the sunshine, sitting in the shade of the roof.  You can be touched by nature – no, not in the sense of being immersed in it on a canoe trip to a wilderness area, but by having your senses exposed to God’s world even as you go about your ordinary human activities – reading, enjoying that glass of sweet-tea, thinking about life.  And seen from the street, a porch is a welcoming platform – a place to which you can come and be sheltered from the elements while you make your presence known to the family inside.

The porch is for me a symbol of what we need to do to bring human activity and culture back into contact with God’s creation.  You don’t give up anything to have a porch except for a few dollars extra when the house was built – but look at what you gain.  All the sounds, smells and experiences of nature mingled with the comfort and security of ‘civilisation’.  Looking at the porch as a symbol, there are other examples in our world:  A paved bike trail is an example of a “porch”:  It offers secure, healthy, rapid transport but it’s close to nature.  A couple of days ago I took one of our local bike trails out into the countryside – a five mile ride that took me through a couple of wetlands, past numerous cornfields, under a major highway (twice), through a two mile long tunnel of trees and past a small downtown commercial area.  Just like the porch, the bike trail gave me both nature and civilisation.  The construction of the trail would have done some damage to creation, but little compared to the nearby highway.  Using it does nothing to harm the environment and actually does a great deal to bring health to my somewhat overweight and under-utilized body.  A farmer’s market is another example.  A concert in the park.  A restaurant that serves tables outdoors (‘al fresco’).

So… let’s build more porches – and then grab that glass of iced tea, and go read a book!