Re-membering... Building Community September 15. 2005

I've been pondering more intently than usualy how much community means if we are to be a healthy society. Our civilization has forgotten how to "do community." What have we lost? How can we regain it? I received this in my email Inbox this morning:
How strange that we should ordinarily feel compelled to hide our wounds when we are all wounded! Community requires the ability to expose our wounds and weaknesses to our fellow creatures. It also requires the ability to be affected by the wounds of others... But even more important is the love that arises among us when we share, both ways, our woundedness. -- M. Scott Peck
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David  Thursday, September 15. 2005 @ 11:08
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I'm sorry I'm such a comment-whore. Don't mind me.

I haven't read the article Bruderhof linked to with that quote yet, but the quote itself strikes home with me.

In response to a friend's question earlier this morning, I was thinking of what things "move me" to tears, because I typically don't cry at all. Stereotypical times to cry work differently for me, I usually just become focused on trying to resolve the situation and cope by figuring out exactly what I can and can't do.

But occasionally, when I see a person revealing their vulnerability, I am overcome with gratitude. And not particularly when they're revealing it to me, but to the people around them, or to their mentors, or to their students, or a parent to a child or a child to a parent. The common theme being the deliberate openness in spite of personal danger it may bring for whatever reason. A form of courage, I guess. And that's what community takes.
#1 Justin Walters (Homepage) on 2005-09-15 12:07 (Reply)

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