One of the of the many attractions of a Christian community is the sharing of work. For many years my work life has operated in a regular cycle of intense activity and idleness. When idle, I have time and energy to spare for good causes, but am unable to commit to anything long term because these idle periods are never lasting; and when I am busy, I become fatigued because of overwork. In a community, I would happily help others when my own work was slack, and would naturally welcome their help when I am busy. This would be similar to the way that a husband and wife help each other--or indeed how all friends and family members should help each other.
I open with such a description because now I have so many obligations that I could use help (and Monica has been very helpful these past few weeks), even though In a few months I may find I have very little work.
Part of me is attracted to an extreme kind of community, the sort that builds compounds in the wilderness and cuts itself off entirely from the outside world. But I think that this idea, besides being impractical, would not be healthy for its members. What I think would be best is a kind of village attached to an already existing town or city. Members of the community would have freedom to do their work and shopping in town, the main difference being that these things could be done in common. Workers would share transportation and shoppers would travel together and go to the same stores. A significant advantage of this is that working together is FUN. It is fun to travel, work, and shop with one's friends--our modern loneliness at all of these activities is unnatural.
In my vision, education of the children would be in common. I see no reason to name any one person as headmaster or even teacher. Each member of the community would have something valuable to pass on, and classes would be so divided.
I think that common meals would also be important. Not only would the work of preparing and cleaning be shared, but every meal would be a cause for fellowship and communion.
I don't have much more time, but what should be emerging from this is how important I think it is for people to work and live together rather than by themselves. C. S. Lewis's Great Divorce envisions hell as people living at vaster and vaster distances from one another--even as they build grander homes. We cannot build a paradise on earth, but neither do I think that we should always be trying to imitate hell.
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5 comments:
I believe the extreme type of community you mention is best left to the monastics, theirs being an inherently more radical (and more nearly perfect) way of life. We have much to learn from them but obviously cannot imitate them in all things, having followed a different vocation.
As to the education of our children, I believe that teaching is a gift given to some more than others. I agree with you that "each member of the community would have something valuable to pass on," but not that this should be passed by each member in a class. Some will teach best only by example. It seems practical to me that there would indeed be a headmaster or teacher who coordinates the education of the children.
Going into the wilderness in body reflects having gone into the wilderness in spirit - having forsaken all things of this world in favor of the things of heaven only.
We who are called to marriage must live with one foot on the earth. We care for how we can please our wives, not only for how we can please God. Our wives care for how they can please us, not only for how they can please God (c.f. 1 Cor. 7: 32-34).
I like your discription, you and John explain things so wonderfully! I also like your vision.
I agree the extream would not be good for us. I also agree with the work. I was thinking how wonderful would it be to do the housework with the help of 3-5 other people. Yes there would be much more work; however, it is always easier for me to become motivated if I see another doing work...
Then one last comment... Who likes to eat alone? Sometimes a smaller meal may be nice, but then again there is just something always wonderful about a large community meal!
I have talked with Monica about a school as a way to make money for the community. In this case, a headmaster and dedicated teachers would certainly be needed. I'll write more about this later.
As I and others have said, celibates are more than welcome in our community. As are monastics. Indeed, our community would suffer without them. They can do without us better than we can do without them. The monastics of our community, however, must be of the ministerial and not the cloistered, purely contemplative kind. I suppose a cloister could be connected to our community, but it must be cloistered from our community.
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