In the past two weeks, I have learned of a death of an acquaintance, celebrated a wedding and mourned anew on the 12th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. It was really a sharp contrast: many lives taken too soon juxtaposed with the radiant joy and fellowship of celebrating the forming of a new family. Somewhere in the middle of that, at this month’s Coffee Talk, we discussed millennials, whether or not they will be returning to church, and whether what we call “church” will still be the same.
Throughout these topics, I noticed a common thread: community. After tragedy, a family, a group of friends, a city, a nation, pull together in solidarity, even for a brief amount of time, to mourn with those who mourn. One underlying theme in the Coffee Talk discussions was about the need for community, for a group of people who welcome others as they are without judgment. At the wedding, we rejoiced with our friends as they pledged their commitment to one another; we as celebrants committed to supporting them in a life together, and the pastor reminded us that marriage will involve enormous joy and enormous sorrow. Joy and sorrow. Rejoicing and mourning. These are things we experience in community. Our joy is shared with others, and the burden of sorrow is borne more easily if others help to carry that burden.
What does community mean to you?
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