Communities have taken many forms. The internet supports numerous “communities” that flourish in parallel universes. Many are dispersed across wide areas and around the world. They include interest groups, professional organizations, religious congregations, and sports enthusiasts. Such associations provide meaningful and engaged interaction.

However, they exist with little or no awareness of the dynamic relationships and complexity of the localities in which people live. They are not concerned with safety or survival in hard times.

The concept of community we are talking about here is quite different. It is geographically local, but also ancient and universal. Only authentic community supports neighborhood safety, social and economic stability, and local institutions. It is by nature inclusive; no one is excluded.

The challenges confronting us today—civil disorder, social degradation, and widespread distrust—call for the creation of functional local communities capable of problem-solving and addressing shared-needs.

We cannot survive, much less build a society we can respect and believe in, unless we can depend on our neighbors. Collaboration is needed—not political agreement. The future will depend on our readiness to rise above our differences to the extent necessary for safety and self-preservation.

If we are not engaged with our neighbors, we can start now. We need to approach them in a warm and friendly manner. Bake some cookies or a pie. Invite problem-solving. Be forgiving. Avoid partisan comments.

When we encounter suspicion and distrust, we can be patient and understanding. We are capable of being respectful and supportive. Increasingly, civil order will require courage, collaboration, and grace.

Local communities have long been the basic unit comprising human societies—the dynamic structure in which justice, social order, and personal identity are grounded. It is here that young people learn values, find equilibrium, and gain a sense of belonging.

Everyone needs a sense of belonging grounded in place

Authentic communities invite active participation. We need to feel at home, and have the safety to be ourselves. So it is that community, when endowed with the full engagement of its’ citizens, becomes the substructure for freedom and the foundation for security. No other institution is capable of serving this purpose.

Only in genuinely functional local communities will it be possible to respond personally and effectively to the challenges of the present hour. We can and must learn how to encourage dependability and sustain trust among people who differ from us—politically, socially, religiously. Our neighbors come from every kind of experience and background.

Such learning requires patience and understanding, and the will to seek a future we can respect and believe in. We are capable of this.

None of the challenges now confronting us can be met with wishful thinking.

We are embarking on a long journey, a learning process, and for many, a new and meaningful creative endeavor. We will succeed with open and inquisitive minds, and the courage to learn by doing.

Tom

Regular readers can look for the next post on or about June 1.

My forthcoming book, “Liberty and the American Idea,” is with my publisher. It will be available very soon. The Introduction, an annotated table of contents, and several chapters are linked at the top of the homepage.