From Peoplehood to Communal Continuity
I have been thinking about how we are part of communities that extend beyond our individual lives ~ and we know this, but tend to accentuate the personal and/or political over the communal. We sustain communities through participation, relationships, shared practices, mutual care, and collective responsibility. We inherit communities from those who came before us and help shape the communities that exist after us.
What communal continuity emphasizes...
Participation
A community continues because people care, contribute, and commit to its life.
How do I want to contribute to communities I care about?
Mutual commitment
Community involves caring for others and allowing others to care for us.
How do I care within a group of people, and experience others' care?
Shared life
Communities are sustained through what we do together — celebrating, learning, helping, creating...
What do I do with others that makes me know I am part of this community?
Intergenerational connection
Communal continuity connects past, present, and future.
What am I carrying forward?
Adaptation
Continuity doesn't require keeping a community unchanged. A living community evolves as its members and circumstances change.
How can I preserve connection while allowing the community to grow and change?