9 Reflections on C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Connection.
what links everyone together? life? energy? shared emotions like fear and love? even the so-called individual human being is a community of trillions of cells. are we not all like cells in the body of humanity?
surely, there is a connection among the family, the country, the species but also other living inhabitants and even the non-living including the elements. to remember and honor those connections builds a sense of community and the duty to care for one another.
connection is an evolution from competition to cooperation to consecration. the last part means that a life centered in the good of the whole is considered a noble offering and respected over celebrity and personal success only.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Opportunity.
if opportunity is withheld from some and guarded by others, ultimately the community as a whole will suffer. can the heart say to the brain, “i will cut off your supply” and achieve anything worthwhile?
privilege is defined as special rights afforded only to part of the community. and that’s another reason why those who have it may deny it, thinking “no one’s done anything SPECIAL for me!” but when basic rights to safety, clean air and water, quality education, healthcare, access to a grocery store for god’s sake, and a reasonable path to build wealth and security are withheld from some or were withheld in the past but now are effectively a distant dream, then those rights ARE special unto those who have them. also, privilege is hard for some who benefit from it to “see” it because it is often about what is NOT there- namely prejudice, discrimination and other roadblocks to opportunity.
when basic opportunity is justly and equitably shared, then it will no longer be deemed so special and the whole community can advance towards building even greater opportunities and peace.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Membership.
belonging is the next level of the hierarchy of needs after safety and security. membership and shared emotional connection form the foundation for building a sense of community. to that end, when will we truly listen to those who feel like they have yet to fully belong?
can we not teach children to seek out, value, appreciate, befriend and welcome into the sense of community those who are different? despite all the tools to achieve it, i have not seen this manifest yet. and to only hold those who think similarly in high regard breeds corruption. let’s at least hold space for the alternative, especially when it comes to bold and creative ideas to lift up those who have been excluded.
inclusivity is expansion, and exclusivity is contraction… of life, of possibilities.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Meaning.
why are we here? it seems humans ultimately find meaning in serving a purpose greater than themselves. in other words – life becomes fulfilling when it is lived also for the wider community. like a river no longer bound by its banks when it merges with the ocean, let the walls of the ego and selfishness recede through compassion.
volunteering has a strong association with health outcomes and has been shown to enhance cognitive ability and prevent dementia. but again, the real benefit to the individual and society is born out of genuine concern for others. researchers at the university of michigan found that those engaged in altruistic community service lived longer than those whose community service was motivated by selfish interests.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Unity.
you can’t spell community without unity. the word ‘community’ has roots in latin ‘communitas’ which meant “public spirit.”
every cell has its own unique function but works in harmony within one body. if any part of the body is ailing, the mind thinks “i am hurting.” so the whole person feels and responds. similarly, we need a sense of oneness when it comes to healing our community. like Malcom X said, “when ‘i’ is replaced with ‘we,’ illness becomes wellness.”
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Nature.
like a vine that blossoms with fruits, we live on a planet that blossoms with people. nature is not a commodity that belongs to me, but rather a community to which i belong. year after year, it becomes increasingly apparent that ultimately the earth will not tolerate domination.
we say that nature is outside and therefore we are separate. and yet, to poison what is outside us – the air, the water, the soil - is to poison what is inside us. yes, we can go to the moon or mars, so long as we go in a canned version of earth… like a potted plant.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Influence.
when a community is healthy, the group makes a difference to its members and vice versa. but that road has only been one-way when it comes to black people in this country throughout centuries of tyranny. black lives matter and deserve a proper place at the community table of influence. empty gestures or symbols of mattering from those in power will not suffice.
i distinctly remember history books and teachers describing the civil rights legislation of the 60’s as “sweeping.” as if to suggest, “and that’s that.” 400 years of oppression and systemic racism with today’s median white household net wealth at 10x that of the black counterpart - cannot be swept away with one law or political victory. it will take sustained collective effort to uproot barriers to justice and equality. influence, like the confluence of streams, originally meant to flow freely and together. may the influence of different races, ethnicities, sexes, orientations and spiritualities flow evenly around and nourish the whole community.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Trust.
trust is the access code at the gate of friendship. they say consistency over time equals trust. however, so-called authorities and our institutions lie to us, and lies poison every relationship, system, and community. distrust is also easily manufactured when there is a vacuum of moral leadership.
so now we find ourselves in this chaotic struggle over epistemology. it’s one thing to disagree about opinions, but americans disagree about facts. what is knowledge? for now, it is like a mosaic that always requires more pieces.
but trust still needs to start with me. learning to trust myself and earning the trust of others by reliably doing my part for the community, however small it may seem; delivering my necessary lines wholeheartedly, however few they may be.
C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
Yielding.
this does not simply indicate submissiveness but more so the second definition: pliable, flexible, resilient, and lacking stiffness, rigidness, and stubbornness. it is the quality of willingness among members to adapt to new or better information - a community too dynamic for static and stagnation in order to evolve in wisdom.
but in a much simpler and practical sense, it is like a roundabout on the street with only a series of yield signs to direct traffic. it works so long as the drivers are conscientious of one another, ready to give someone else a turn, and knowing when to exit.