I’ve always found ground breaking ceremonies a little funny. There’s a circle of people dressed in nice suits and fancy shoes, all wearing hard hats for a quick photo while they shovel a bit of dirt. It makes me scratch my head—why celebrate at the very start of a building project? And grand openings with giant scissors cutting ribbons are downright comical to me.
But I can’t deny there’s something symbolic about physically breaking the ground. It’s this big moment that says, “Hey, we’re actually doing something new here!” Even though the phrase itself—breaking ground—sounds destructive, it’s how we begin a construction project. It’s basically a ritual we’ve created to mark the excitement of starting fresh.
Then there’s that other angle: calling an idea “groundbreaking” when it’s really just something that’s never been done before. It’s almost like you have to break apart old ways of thinking so something truly new can take shape. It’s interesting how the same phrase can mean a literal shovel in dirt or a big leap in innovation.
It makes me wonder: as our world becomes more digital, does “code breaking” become the new “ground breaking”? We may not be able to shovel bytes and bits…maybe we should pour out some sand? But as culture changes and we keep setting things in motion—launching a new app, cracking a tough problem, or inventing a technology—we still need ceremonial starting lines. Ceremonial gestures that say, “We’re starting here, and we’re hoping to build something that lasts.”
As I start the new work of the Greater Austin Mission Society, we had a good meeting, but it was a similar meeting we’d been having. Nothing felt profound, but we’re out of the gates.
I’m not totally sure how it’ll all play out, but it’s fun to think about why we celebrate the start of things. Maybe it’s because beginnings are packed with promise and potential, no matter whether you’re cutting a ribbon, turning dirt, or tackling a line of code for the very first time. And if you have ideas for how we should celebrate the start of a new ministry, I’m all ears!
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