What is community? I go to a church where people tend to pride themselves for their sense of community. Indeed there are many community programs and types of outreach at my church, St. Paul's Anglican in Vancouver's famous West End. They have an advocacy office, staffed and run by two paid employees and a number of volunteers to reach out to the local homeless and destitute and help connect them with housing, food, medical and other services. They also have a labyrinth which all are free to walk for their personal prayer, meditation and contemplation. There is Our House, a live-in rehabilitation program for individuals who suffer from addictions. St. Paul's welcomes newcomers of all kinds and classes and colours, or as they like to say, "No matter where you happen to be on the journey, you are welcome here." It would appear that many things are offered at St. Paul's except maybe for family and friendship. Those are things you have to provide for yourself. Not that easy if you are already alone, if your family is in another part of the world, or if they are all dead, or if for some reason they don't want you. Likewise friends. This is demonstrated every Christmas when those in the church who are without family or friends are still expected to celebrate the holiday alone. Aside from scheduled church services that is. But, as I already have, you might have the good fortune of making new friends at St. Paul's. But none of them want to see me at Christmas.
What is wrong with this picture? Could it be that at St. Paul's there is a rather limited superficial understanding of community? I would have to say so. I have long understood community, at least outside of the meaning ascribed to secular society as meaning more than simply saying hi to people in the neighbourhood and trying to be helpful where you can. I have always believed that community, if it is true Christian community, combines and integrates many of the elements of family and friendship so that all are included and we are all involved in one another's lives on a variety of levels, all of this having a healing and redemptive purpose. For example, in a church that really aspires to community I couldn't envision anyone being without a welcoming place to go for Christmas or Thanksgiving, or to have the opportunity to be and provide such a place to others. I could not imagine anyone going hungry or even needing the food bank because we would all be pooling together our food and resources and sharing together many community meals, in the church and in our respective homes. I could not imagine anyone being homeless or having to be sent to a low barrier shelter (certain exceptions for people with addictions or mental health issues that would make them too difficult to accommodate) because we would be opening our homes and lives to one another.
I do realize and accept that much of what I envision here is likely always going to remain an unattainable ideal. But I also think there are many in between places that we could fill. If we cared enough. If we had the imagination. If we prayed enough. It is good also to be realistic. Many of us have to work for a living at occupations that make tremendous demands on our time, our lives and our energy. Living in a city that has the most expensive housing in North America makes this situation particularly onerous. What could we do to work our way around this, or how can we trust God to use our daily life situations in a redemptive way so that we can still all be drawn closer together in his love?
I am ashamed to confess that I don't do a lot either. At church I try to open my heart to people, regulars and newcomers and I do what I can to try to make people comfortable, especially during coffee following the Eucharist. When I can convince others to join me in a local coffee shop for a visit or for a walk afterward that is also a bonus. It is often difficult to get people interested because, well, I think for many of us church and God are somewhat other than our daily lives and we really want that boundary to remain fixed and stable. I think people feel this way for good reason. There is often so much chaos, pressure and busyness in their daily lives that they don't want this to be complicated by needy folk in church bursting in like barbarians at the gate. While this is a legitimate concern I sometimes wonder if at least some of us (I'm talking to myself here) might listen carefully for the Lord's voice and call to push a little bit beyond our little havens of comfort. It doesn't have to be too much too soon or all at once and really it is generally much better to embark on something like this slowly and gently. Small steps, you know. I used to open my home to a lot of people and often had people, sometimes perfect strangers eating at my table. I lived in bigger apartments or houses in those days and I also had a greater surplus of emotional energy. Now I live in a tiny bachelor unit (350 sq. ft.) and I work in an emotionally and mentally challenging occupation as a mental health peer support worker. To do well I have to have time alone in the evenings at home and this is also when a lot of my time in prayer and reflection occurs. But I can still make myself available to people who would like to have coffee or share a meal together just after work, or talk on the phone or exchange emails together, I mean this as a way of serving others. I think that each person does have their unique gifts and potential and that this might be a good time to begin exploring these possibilities, but in small steps.
We need to come together more, but we also have to prayerfully plan and consider what we can each do and how we can do it. I know that I would like to grow as a friend to others in the church and also as a person who can help network for others. For example if at Christmas and Thanksgiving I could work with others in a network to help see that everyone is well taken care of over the holidays and that those who are also used to their more concrete family and social plans would be open to sharing the table a little more readily with outsiders and newcomers. I think we have a lot to offer. I also know that many of us are already tired, needy and discouraged. How can we become a healing balm to one another? I think even by asking the question we will eventually find solutions.
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