If you look up ‘community’ in the dictionary, you’ll find various definitions…Below are a few courtesy of Merriam-Webster:
• : society at large
• : a unified body of individuals: such as
a : state, commonwealth
b : the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly : the area itself the problems of a large community
c : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location
d : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society a community of retired persons a monastic community
e : a group linked by a common policy
f : a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests the international community
g : a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society the academic community, the scientific community
So, what does community mean from a personal perspective and why is it important to so many people? Although not really called out in the definition above, community can often be looked at as ‘the act of belonging’.
Certainly, it can stem from physical proximity and a common location as Webster defined. Whether you live in a large city or a small town there is a certain calming effect that happens when you drive into your neighborhood after a long day at work or maybe a business trip. You wave to your neighbors out walking their dogs or perhaps working in their yards. You chat briefly at the mailbox about any neighborhood news. You swap recommendations on baby-sitters, dog walkers, handy-man and other services that might be relevant in your little community. If you are vested in your neighborhood community you may keep a watch on their house while they are vacationing or collect their mail or packages while they are gone.
That said, a physical community may not always be the closest type of community since location commonality will not be as compelling as the spiritual, intellectual or emotional connection that binds many other types of communities.
Oftentimes people experience the closest ties with those they can connect with on a religious or spiritual level. Sharing some of your deepest beliefs with a group of like-minded individuals, be it a large organized religion or a small meditation circle can forge a very strong sense of belonging and larger purpose often giving rise to grander outreach and altruism going much further than simply collecting a neighbor’s mail or sharing a lawn mower when needed.
But perhaps the strongest communities are the communities of the heart. Communities that do not depend on your location, your background or even your beliefs. Instead rise out such a strong shared experience or condition it can form an emotional bond across the miles and irrespective of most other human factors. Examples of these communities could be ‘Wounded Warriors’ or ‘Cancer Survivor groups’, ‘Parents experiencing the death of a child’. Communities that exist to bring strength and support to the members of the community as they work through some of the most challenging and life-changing events.
So maybe in its most noble form, community is family, for after all, family is belonging and family is heart.