I was sitting in a coffee shop, doing some writing, when I looked down at my phone and saw a message from a friend in a group chat. We have had our own Slack for years, and she shared how much she misses when we all lived in the same place. Me too. Many years ago, not just one move ago but several, we gathered as a whole group each week, and smaller groups of us would meet throughout the week as well. We had a rhythm of community.
Last week, I was reading an essay where the writer reflected on this moment in the United States. She suggested that people are not only longing for community, but are increasingly willing to make meaningful changes in their lives to move toward it. She was careful not to call this a silver lining, but instead named it as something more substantial, a kind of counterweight emerging in response to our current context.
So many systemic and political forces have contributed to experiences of isolation. At times, our own life rhythms and connections have shaped that reality as well. And yet, I see people responding. I know several who are looking to buy land together so they can build community. One of my deepest places of relational investment is out of state, and I travel there often, continuing to nurture those connections.
What about you? Where does that longing for community live in your life? And what steps might you take toward it?
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 