Mind the Community

I love to sit in the back of a room and just watch as stories unfold. There are so many unique details in human interaction that we often miss. The unspoken exchange between old friends, the hesitancy among new acquaintances, the ability for an old married couple to seemingly ignore one another for hours and yet still be aware of the actions of their spouse for the entire night...there's a beauty in such intricate connections that can only be appreciated from afar.

I could go weeks without direct human interaction and still feel connected to the world around me. The true intrinsic value of community lies not in our conversations or our shared experiences; rather, the real value of community lies in the ability to recognize that which makes it valuable.

Before I go further, do not mistake this statement as some sort of overtly-stereotypical reflection of my introverted nature. Though my preferences may lead me to solitude more frequently than the average person, I find just as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of quality human interaction as anyone else. What I am trying to promote, however, is that level of deep reflection that is generally only possible when one separates oneself from the main event.

We were created to live in community. The very quality of our existence is directly proportional to the quality of our interactions. For all my boasting of being an introvert, I know how much more alive I feel after a conversation with a good friend than a day spent alone. We, at our natures' core, seek to be understood. We want to be loved and accepted. We find our identity in understanding our role in the larger whole. It's why so many of us love the beauty of a clear night full of stars; that feeling of insignificance reminds us that we are simply a minuscule fragment of a grandiose universe, a period in a grand story. If you don't agree with me now, mull it over a while. It's a beautiful thing to feel that you are part of something bigger than yourself.

Though I occasionally get criticized for it, I love to be somewhere full of people and simply sit back and watch events and interactions unfold. To be able to see all that is good and pure in human interaction is to witness one of the best of God's creations. I have found, for example, that seeing the love my dad has for my mom causes me to love them each more deeply. When we interact with another person, it is impossible to separate our own individual selves - our perceptions, reactions and preferences - from that interaction. But when we can see the beauty and fullness in the interactions of others we can more clearly appreciate the roles we ourselves play in the communities we take part in.

My charge to you is to spend some time intentionally witnessing the beauty of community. Take a break from having to be at the center of the action and experience the view from the sidelines. When we spend so much time trying to keep from missing out, we lose the opportunity to really live well with one another.