community, a quality of the heart

from the henri nouwen society

the word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. it also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naivete.

however, community is first of all a quality of the heart. it grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4).

the question, therefore, is not "how can we make community?" but "how can we develop and nurture giving hearts?"