Power of Community
In Community, We Find Self-Identity, Healing and Relevance
Think of all the communities you have embraced over time; how they helped you to see yourself and provide a context for your life. Reflect upon what drew you to various social, political, religious, arts, gender, health, and social justice groups. What have you learned about the benefit, challenge and growing edge of being in a community of your choosing? A vital community brings people together to enjoy wisdom, integrity, and diversity. We seek community to locate our tribe and find a safe home base.
Currently, we see a growing number of people feeling vulnerable, isolated and distrustful. Alone, we fall prey to loneliness, despair, blame, and hostility. Social media, TV and the internet are replacing friendship, family, and connection with nature and spirit. Humankind is experiencing a universal crisis of collapsing systems, personal, social and ecological. This is the undeniable “elephant in the room” that leaders cannot fix given the current flaws in our complex systems that are dangerously out-of-balance with our personal and planetary needs.
World chaos disturbs everyone’s neuro-hormonal system and inner peace. Our collective problem requires our collective action to create change from the grassroots upward to reach those who have enjoyed power, but have not been amenable as yet, in sharing new and sustainable applications. Community allows us to access the power of collective energy and consciousness, as long as it is rooted in honesty, integrity and innovation to serve people in need.
I take heart in the widening consideration for the notion of “wellness for all,” which has different assumptions than modern medicine, tasked with the enormous challenge of treating disease that has already occurred, rather than preventing its onset and progression. A wellness community can help people stay out of the emergency rooms and intensive care units. As a first step towards health equity, let’s replace the “I” in illness with “we,” so that collaboration and social learning can be available to people of all ages and backgrounds to learn time-tested wellness practice skills to build resilience and support recovery.
The power of community to promote personal and social transformation hinges upon a consensus to uphold the notion of unity where contrasting perspectives overlap and around which contending peoples can coalesce to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.