“It took me until I was 49 years old to figure out that I needed to find a different community than the one I worked in and was immersed in.”
“Did you know there is a whole a boating culture? Who knew, once we purchased a boat we discovered a new community!”
These are snippets of recent conversations with friends and colleagues who have discovered an entire world outside the one they presently live in. Both spoke with great animation about this previously unknown culture that they now found themselves in. It was if they had just uncovered some long lost treasure.
I not only appreciate but resonate with their enthusiasm. One of the best things I did when I served as a parish priest was become a coach for a girls’ high school basketball team. The daily opportunity to leave one context with the roles and responsibilities that came with it and then enter a completely different one was truly life giving.
One of the questions I often ask leaders I work with is what other non-work related communities, organizations or affinity groups are you connected with. In my experience, the vast majority of us do not carve out space for engaging with others in a completely different community, context or culture.
“Living in community means living in such a way that others can access me and influence my life. It means that I can get ‘out of myself’ and serve the lives of others. Community is a world where kinship with each other is possible. By community I don’t mean primarily a special kind of structure, but a network of relationships.” – Richard Rohr
There are millions of different contexts, cultures and communities. Each of them has a distinct DNA with their own expressions, perspectives, customs, and values. When we venture outside our familiar landscape it gives us an opportunity for new learnings about different perspectives, histories and traditions. This in turn is broadening our horizons, challenging our assumptions, and inviting us to embrace the richness of and respect for all God’s beloved…and may also be a lot of fun!