I came across an article today at Relevant Magazine about the 5 misconceptions we have about community. It’s brief and written with a young adult audience in mind. But, suffice it to say, it has some points that I think many folk, especially younger folk, aren’t willing to think through about actual community.
As the article mentions, “community” is such a buzzword. Still, I’m not always certain we know what it means. At best, we think community is primarily about finding a place that makes me feel comfortable and fits my individual needs, rather than seeking a place that is primarily about transformation and me submitting my individual needs (including gifts & dreams) to the larger collective. This, I believe, should be part of the greater focus of a solid collective community.
That being said, check out the 5 misconceptions at the article. Below are some great summary words:
The difficulty comes when we want the ideal without the process it requires. As I’ve watched our church and our friends grow and stretch in this area, I’ve noticed that most of us have to push through the desire for immediate, plug and play community in order to settle in for the journey it takes to actually build community with one another.
Building community takes hard work. It’s a slow process, and slow isn’t exactly popular these days.
But it’s worth it.
The Prodigal Thought 