Creating Community
by Betsy Toll
Most spring mornings, quiet birdsong and dawn-scented dew offer
a gentle welcome to the day. New leaves delight in their own greenness,
irises gracefully unfurl their beards, and crimson rhodies shimmer
in the misty air.
Then the paper comes or the radio goes on and this quiet moment
of simple belonging fades, replaced by headlines, politics, products,
and pressure. The transition seeps in almost undetected, but soon
the familiar sense of being not-so-subtly harried, unsettled, distracted,
and distressed is knee deep and rising.
“ Our work then is the slow, careful, patient process
of creating community, to re-kindle that fire of connection and
belonging.”
A sense of belonging
There is a deep longing for that ephemeral sense of still, easy
rightness. In those moments of integration when heart, mind, and
body are in sync we feel inherently supported, accepted, and valued
just as we are. We feel that we belong.
Humans have long found a sense of belonging in family and in communities
of place and of faith. Shared work, shared responsibility, common
goals and vision combine to create the central awareness that, “I
belong here. I am home.”
Small wonder then that we are pained living in a culture that drives
us to be ever more mobile, productive, isolated, bifurcated.
Our work is often disconnected from that which we value most. For
many, our livelihood is not linked to our hearts or authenticity.
Real connection is a memory. The world is shifting beneath our feet
and we share a longing for common purpose, shared meaning, acceptance,
and a ready sense of welcome.
The task ahead
Our work then is the slow, careful, patient process of creating community, to re-kindle that fire of connection and belonging. Engaging with others--over time and in place--in activities that enrich our spirits, reflect our values, and engage our skills, begins to nudge us closer to a world of balance, beauty, creativity, cooperation, and peace. This is both the challenge and the opportunity presented by conditions of post-modern 21st century life: to create new models that will feed our hearts and carry us through the
unpredictable times ahead.
Working together
Living Earth is committed to crafting connection: sharing meals, joining in
celebration, facing hard questions, encouraging stillness, laughing,
brainstorming, and creating community as we learn together and go about this work.
The essence of our mission is to create that ground of belonging. We welcome your help.
We invite comments and observations from Living Earth members and
readers on this topic, and will post as many as possible on this
site. Send comments to circle@livingearthgatherings.org
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