My parents are on a cruise currently, sending me email postcards from the cruise ship. I have never been on a cruise before, or on a boat for any significant length of time, so I am unfamiliar of the feeling you get from looking out around and seeing nothing but water. I'm sure it can be an overwhelming feeling, perhaps even makes one sick! I think the only thing that makes someone okay about going on a cruise is that though you are surrounded by water you are not alone on the journey (in fact you may find it too crowded even on an amazingly big ship). Don't think too many people would choose for their vacation to sit in a ship for so many hours in a day and be all alone by oneself and the expansive water. It amazes me though how secluded and individualized Canadian culture can be! How we might choose instead of journeying life together we instead opt for the silly lonely ride, slowly driving us mad.
Theological writers have for years written on Christian community and of how the bible instructs and exemplifies the importance of the individual for community and the community for the individual. Bonhoeffer's classic Life Together is most encouraging on the life of Christian community. I have also come across thoughts on community this morning through Newbigin and his ideas on Christian mission.
I now have the wonderful opportunity of working in a community in Toronto called St. James Town. My involvement in this multicultural neighbourhood has me testing out these great writings and thoughts on community. Last week I sat with my program director from seminary and this week sat with the program director for TCM. The one director spoke of programs and people to meet, while the other encouraged me to always ask the "why" questions (why are we doing this or that). I am reminded that to shape community you have to be in community. When you are in community you will also be shaped by community.
I am glad for all of those who I have already met so far and am excited to be shaped by some of them. I realize that I am from a small town and I have need of some "inner" city education. But more than that these people are there for the people and that is something I must learn and develop. Adding to this also is the commitment for presence because of God's sake. I am not just there to be there but to be Christ there. This will have amazing rewards and many heartaches.
If you know of great stories of community (Christian or non) feel free to share them with us here, because we all need to hear about the successes to keep us moving forward in building community and experience a virtual community here online.
Blessings,
I think Darryl raises an interesting subject on the relation between individual and community.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not hard to imagine a point in history where one’s community would have been limited to a small group of people living together, mostly family, and without institutions; a group so small that one could easily consider the entire community in a single thought. Obviously this hasn’t changed too much, as family is our first and foremost community; however in modernity, families often move apart, and we seek to join other communities.
Society is enormous; so enormous it would be difficult or even impossible to bear in mind. Finding one’s “extended” community, within society, is so daunting one could argue that the extended community in fact “chooses you”. That you accept those who accept you.
What makes the St. James Town community interesting in relation to Darryl is that he has chosen them, and must therefore work to gain their trust, and ultimate acceptance.
I believe it would be difficult to suggest there is a right or wrong community for each given individual. Philosophically, perhaps it’s an existential choice – the anguish of freedom, and the meaninglessness of community outside the individual mind. Being a Community Worker is Darryl’s choice – his meaning.
Perhaps the point I want to make is that the relationship between Darryl and St. James Town is in fact a relationship between Darryl’s community, and the St. James town community. Perhaps when talking about community, there is no individual?
As Darryl has said, he has much to learn, and anticipates “many heartaches”. As Darryl’s community, we can remind him that we value his work, recognize the difficultly of his work, and ask him about the heartaches.