Friends,

In midst of chaos, frustration and uncertainty, I am greatly encouraged by some events that have been happening around St. Luke’s.

Legend has it that the living embodiment of German pessimism, Director Werner Herzog, saved actor Joaquin Phoenix when he wrecked his car in 2006. According to the story, Herzog witnessed the wreck, calmly walked over to Phoenix, said, “just relax” and pulled him from the car. Once Phoenix was safe, Herzog simply walked away to avoid any attention. I find this story remarkable, because Werner Herzog desperately wanted to avoid what most of us would have embraced, which is to be noticed when we do something good. I believe that if I had witnessed that wreck, I would have helped without hesitation, because that is simply the right thing to do. Unlike our hero Herzog, I would have gotten a selfie with the grateful actor to share on my socials.

I sit solidly in the camp that good deeds should be broadcast. When something good happens, why not share it with the world? Human attention gravitates to the dramatic, and if we do not give people dramatically hopeful or inspiring news, then they may be left with dramatic news that leaves us drained, hopeless and malcontent. If you have a light, don’t put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand.

This story with Werner Herzog is interesting, because it is his disinterest in attention that is part of the good news. Any public good deed could be considered virtue signally to one degree or another, leaving the observers skeptical of the genuine altruism of the hero of the story. Did they just run to the wrecked car because they saw the famous actor in need of help, or maybe they saw an opportunity for glory? Herzog’s heroism is refreshing, because his avoidance of the limelight leaves us with little doubt to his true intentions. If he were to put his own light on a lamp stand, it would paradoxically lessen its brightness, so it’s up to us to share the tales of this grumpy German hero lest he sully the purity of his benevolent apathy.

All of this is to say, Carlo Uchello is pretty great. Carlo faithfully attends our 8:00 am service, and for over a decade Carlo and others have been advocating to install solar panels on St. Luke’s roof. In 2023 Carlo did a ton of research, got competitive bids, and in February of 2024 pitched his idea to the vestry. The vestry gave him the green light, with the condition that we raise the money without doing a major capital campaign, and he went out and raised all the funds by writing and calling members of St. Luke’s that he knew shared his values.

And now, here we are at installation week. A small but industrious crew have been installing the panels on the roof, and Carlo has been here to run point every single day. There are a few more steps before we start to see energy savings, but the project is now officially moving forward due to his efforts. Many people supported this project, but it would not have happened without Carlo.

Unlike Werner Herzog, Carlo is not grumpy or pessimistic; however, I believe that like Herzog, his efforts are the result of a genuine desire to do something good, rather than to be noticed. He’ll be the first to say that installing solar panels will not get us anywhere close to carbon neutral at St. Luke’s. Other projects, like replacing some of our ancient windows with energy efficient ones will help us get closer to this goal. We could look at increasing the efficiency of our HVAC system, get more energy efficient appliances, and encourage habits to offset our carbon footprint. Even if we can accomplish every energy efficiency project, St. Luke’s will still likely have a large carbon footprint, but the point isn’t to do this perfectly, it is to do it better. St. Luke’s has a huge impact on our community, and Carlo and others believe that we can do our part by limiting St. Luke’s impact on the planet, and trying to limit that impact is worthwhile, and letting our community know that we care is even better.

So, Carlo, you have been behind the scenes with this project for a long time, and you have shown me time and time again, that you are doing this because you think it is the right thing to do. You are not one to take the limelight, so let me take a moment to thank you. Seeing those panels go up has given me something to feel hopeful about, and it is because of you.

Blessings,

Nick