SOME THOUGHTS ON COMMUNITY

I am not sure if I will have access to the internet tomorrow so I thought I would post today’s reflection while I have the chance.

I essentially had three reasons for wanting to come to the Simple Way this week.  The first was to serve, the second was to learn and the third was to reflect on my relationship with my creator.   Last night I was talking with my wife on the phone about the whole idea and concept of community and what that exactly means.  It is a word and concept that I have been trying to get my mind around for several years.  I think the more technologically advanced we get as a society the more difficult it is build community.  I truly believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to do community.  However, community is going to look different depending upon the context that it is in.  To give a few examples: Community in the Kensington section of Philadelphia where I am staying this week, which happens to be in the inner-city is going to look different than community in pick any agricultural region of the Midwest. 

An African Village, Suburbia USA, a monastery, prison, white collar work places, blue collar work places, being part of sports team, travelling the same train or bus or even carpooling every day—this list could go on—all provide opportunities for community.  Yet how community in each one of those contexts plays out is going to look different from the other.  My biggest struggle is that I have this desire to have one mold for community that fits all of these contexts.  It is hard to swallow the fact that there is not one mold.  Knowing that in each one of the contexts that I am involved in there is a different paradigm for community is overwhelming to me. 

Getting back to the complications technology throws at us, the newest contexts of Facebook, E-mail, Twitter et al continue to me being overwhelmed! 

The suburbs is one of the contexts in which I live.  I have lived in my current location for more than two years.  I know the names of three neighbors, Christian, Patricia and Rose. I have had three conversations with Christian and six or seven with Patricia and other than introducing myself to Rose have had no interaction with her.  I believe part of the reason for this is the context of the subarbs.  People find a location where they want to live for any number or reasons.  Ours happens to be because of its proximity to work and for my wife the Sligo Creek Trail where she likes to run.  Most often, I believe these reasons are not because you share interests or passions with those you will live next to.  However, I believe the bigger part of the problem with lacking community with my “neighbors” is because I don’t have a clue how to pursue it.  Or maybe even worse and this relates to yesterday’s reflection—I do know and this is just another instance of me refusing to embrace discomfort.

I  would love comments here or on my Facebook Page on how you create community in your contexts!