Yearning For Community

We are hardwired to live in community. There are deep reasons why we live in groups within towns and cities and then organize ourselves into governmental pods for making sense out of these groupings.

Just look around. People do not naturally isolate themselves, but seek out others of like interests. Whether it be businesses, churches, fitness centers, clubs or even groupings of folks at a coffee shop, we seem to gravitate toward being together.

Those of us who are self proclaimed introverts still find it necessary to interact with others. We join groups or merely just move into proximity to others before we tuck tail and retreat to recharge our sweet introvert’s batteries-in peace and quiet. But, it is only natural for us to want to connect with others of our kind, i.e. humans!

This yearning toward community is how we come into the world. We yearn for the sound of a mother’s voice, we gaze (without really seeing….but sensing) into the eyes of those who nurture us from an early age. We connect, we click, we make contact. And we never stop yearning for this.

Isolation is becoming pervasive in our culture whether it is technological (humans spend on average 3 hours a day in isolation on their phones, ipads, computers), by choice or forced on us through personal circumstances. There is an increase in feelings of alone-ness. Suicide is on the rise. The elderly feel more isolated than ever before.

I ask myself. What part do I play in the reinforcement of this? Or what part can I play in the reduction of this? I am one person, but can I make a difference? Can WE make a difference? I believe we can. 2019 will be a good time to start.