It was surreal.  An ornate white carriage, the clip clop of hooves, a plethora of vegetation, fountains, ponds and thousands of people enjoying a myriad of events with their friends and loved ones.  I was experiencing my first trip to Central Park. What an enjoyable experience!  The carriage ride and snacks were a little bit pricy, but worth the splurge. 

I have lived only a few hours away from the Big Apple for 30 years, and I have been to the city many times, but I had never taken the time to visit this iconic landmark. I have since learned that the 843-acre oasis is the most visited urban park in the United States; it sees over 42 million visitors each year. Our guide informed us that it is also one of the most filmed locations in the world. (over 500 movies and TV shows) And this jewel is smack dab in the middle of the largest metropolitan center in the United States. 

Thoughtful guests of the park will quickly realize that the creation of such a place required that a group of people have great foresight to provide this park and an even greater determination to care for their creation. The idea of a public park, open to all classes of people, was first proposed in the 1840s. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calver Vaux, who transformed a rocky, swampy portion of Manhattan Island into paradise. They began construction in 1857. A year later portions of the park were opened to the public and people began flocking to the park.  It would eventually take 15 years to complete, at the cost of $14 million.

New Yorkers and tourists enjoyed this famous park for decades until it began to fall into disrepair. In the 1930s, it was renovated, but then it fell into disrepair again. In the 1960-70s, as structures and plantings were untended, crime increased and the park ceased to be what it was designed to be. In fact, it became undesirable and dangerous.  So, in 1980 The Central Park Conservancy was founded. Since that time, people who have recognized the value of Central Park have donated over a billion dollars, and a major restoration has been accomplished  Today the annual operating budget is over $74 million. The park is carefully maintained and is patrolled by its own NYC police precinct. In addition, there are volunteers who provide medical emergency care. Everyone is benefitting from the generosity of a group of people who saw the value in a place for rest, fellowship, recreation and relaxation.

There is another kind of greenspace, or oasis, that is needed in our hectic world. It is a space where people can find peace, solace and hope. But spaces like that take effort, generosity and diligence. For me, church has been that oasis. It has been a place where truths are spoken and sung, and where people unite together to share in one another’s troubles and joys. There is nothing as peaceful and reassuring as a place where God is central, and where worship is directed at God.  There is nothing as grounding as a time when I can talk to God and where He can speak to me.

Unfortunately, churches are often unappreciated until a 9/11 disaster or a pandemic. Even then many may not realize that church is not supposed to be an institution; it is supposed to be a wonderful space that is created and tended by people who value all that it provides to those who go out of their way to enjoy it. You may have lived nearby such an oasis for years… maybe it’s time to see why so many people choose to attend.