Whence Community?

Last weekend at my son's birthday party, I had some very interesting discussions with my Quaker friend John, including one about religious community.

The word religion has its roots in the Latin ligio (to connect or bind together), and we agreed that the appeal of that community, those bonds, that connection, is one thing that draws people to religion. John then made an observation that caught me by surprise, although in retrospect it makes sense looked at from his perspective. He said that the important thing about religious community is that it forms because God brings people together. This is not at all how I viewed it.

I have viewed religious community as an intentional gathering of people who share a common desire for fellowship and worship beyond what they find in their everyday lives. The concept of Unitarian Universalism as a "chosen faith" highlights the intentionality of this gathering - the choice to be together in community without the bondage (another interpretation of ligio) of traditional creedal religion.

If God is within, among, and around us, then perhaps it IS God that brings us together in community. If the Tao flows through us and all living things, we can follow it into community. If there is just some basic human need for community, we will seek it. Regardless of one's perspective, there seems to be something greater than ourselves that finds its expression in community and meaningful relationship with others.

There is definitely also an element of intentionality to religious community - regardless of any greater, metaphysical call to connect or gather together, each individual must conciously choose to remain in relationship with others. To develop meaningful relationships, moreover, requires effort and commitment well beyond that required merely to show up at church on Sunday.

The most important aspect of community - of religion - is not what brings us there together, but what we do together once we've arrived. Do we recite some static creed and place our hopes in the promise of a better life somewhere else? Or do we celebrate ourselves, our community, and our relationships, nurture each other and the earth, and strive to increase the amount of love and justice in the world?

Something greater than ourselves may bring us together, but it's up to each of us to make something beautiful out of this thing we call community.