Community

Over the last couple of months, I've gone through some small transitions and, as a result, have felt a lack of community. When my long-distance friends call, I tell them I don't really have community here---don't have a large group of friends surrounding me, hanging out with me on the weekends, inviting me over for the holidays (woah, flashback of Felicity, Thanksgiving episode). Whatever.

And it's sort of ironic that this is my complaint. All summer I've lead a talk to the mission groups who come serve with us about "Community." How it's one of the pillars of the organization where I spend my time and energy. How we all are a part of a much larger community of believers. How though all our projects and missions and passions may be a little different, they work together for a much larger, more congruent purpose.

And, as anyone who reads this blog knows, I was once a part of this really great "intentional community." And I guess because I had that, nothing else quite satisfies. I think it taught me what the true meaning of that word is.....one I heard of at church, in college (ZTA love), and maybe even at work...but that I hadn't lived out fully in that 24/7 kind of way.

But for me to say that I have no community....well, that's just a lie. It seems sometimes I categorize community by people who are like me....in my season of life, my age, my town. Who vote like me, dress like me, worship like me, and spend time in the same way. And maybe some of those are true....I think communities are formed under some common purpose or distinction. But I also think it's a term that is much broader.

Perhaps my community is made up of people I work with--who gather with me at lunch time to catch up. Who hear about the boring day-to-day stuff. Maybe it's my Sunday School class who may not socialize all the time, but who pray every week for the requests from one another. Maybe it's my friends and family--all over the globe--who Skype or pray for me and think about me. Maybe it's the students in my high school small group who I can never get to stay on task, but who would miss me if I wasn't there. Maybe it's the odd group I gathered with around the dinner table on Friday night to celebrate the feast of St. Francis. My girlfriends who will meet me on Google next week. Maybe it's the group of fans who cheered for an upset against Georgia on Saturday. My small bible study group.

Or....maybe it's the seniors at the nursing home around the corner who I haven't met yet. Or the committee I'm going to join at church in January. The partners through work who I will hopefully meet. The new volunteers who I will cook alongside. The 2 older, single ladies who I will invite over for dinner. Or the fellow runner in the park.

Maybe your community is the one you find in the most obscure places. Or maybe it's the one that you bring together.