26 May 2010
True Community
I live in a community. It is a village in central Tasmania called Poatina.
The dream behind Fusion is that a little community can make a difference in the big community.
Community isn’t easy though and I thought I would share some of the insights from a book I have found very helpful called “Community and Growth” by Jean Vanier.
Vanier isn’t just talking theoretically about community. He established the L’Arche communities that care for the disabled. His writing comes from experience.
To start with I thought I would share how he describes true community:
The difference between community and a group of friends is that in a community we verbalise our mutual belonging and bonding. We announce the goals and the spirit that unites us. We recognise together that we are responsible for one another. We recognise also that this bonding comes from God; it is a gift from God. It is he who has chosen us and called us together in a covenant of love and mutual caring.
A page later he talks about the values of true community:
The fundamental attitudes of true community, where there is true belonging, are openness, welcome, and listening to God, to the universe, to each other and to other communities. Community life is inspired by the universal and is open to the universal. It is based on forgiveness and openness to those who are different, to the poor and the weak. Sects put up walls and barriers out of fear, out of a need to prove themselves and to create a false security. Community is the breaking down of barriers to welcome difference.
I find these observations helpful but also challenging.
what I was looking for, thanks
wrolkicromi
June 16th, 2010 at 11:45 ampermalink