Hiraeth

The return of Zellers has been much discussed this week, as the nostalgia has run high in many circles. The reality of the 2023 Zellers, however, is expected to be much different from the Zellers of the past, from prices to product availability to market prevalence. What was a unique discount chain is now 12 new stores re-opened as a subset of a mid- to higher-end retail business group.

The nostalgia is strong, however… as one social media post summed up the situation: “You don’ miss Zellers because of the hot chicken sandwich. You miss Zellers because you were 13 and didn’t have a mortgage.” As amusing as that is, it’s not inaccurate… a comparison of financial realities that the average Canadians have lower purchasing power that when Zellers hit its heyday.

This particular nostalgia has its own name in Welsh: hiraeth – a yearning for a place from the past, a grief for a lost place that cannot be returned to.

While the Zellers return is tapping into our collective nostalgia and hiraeth, we know that any new memories will be different; as we are different, the store is different, and the world is different. And so we are welcomed to embrace the new Zellers as a new expression of building memories and experiences.

So what happens when we apply this same concept and framework to other institutions? Schools, social and cultural organisations… the church even! If we are limited to seeing our places of connection only as something from the past, then we are likely to miss the possibilities of the present. 

Yet God invites us to live into the new church, one that is informed by the past but not restricted by it, a place where the mission of loving one another is the primary consideration. A place where nostalgia is lovely and heart-warming, but is not the driving force of moving into the future.

COVID really shook up how we see ourselves and our associations and connections; and in our current world people tend to be more intentional with their connections. Yes, we are seeking the comfort of the past, but we must be careful not to be trapped by the hiraeth – for that would prevent us from the abundant life and ministry to which God is always calling us.