Benefits of Community - Part 2

Benefits of Community

As American's we embrace the idea of the self-made man, going it alone, the lone ranger. It goes deep into our cultural psyche. Personal freedom, and self-actualization are touted almost everywhere. Is that the best way to do things though? I mean, I like the idea and it does sound flashy and appealing, but there are trade-offs.

When I was in college it was easy to be part of a community. We were all doing more or less the same thing. We could relate to each other. We were almost all away from family so there were almost no conflicting priorities.

I will explore the costs of community in my next post, but for now I want to focus on what I experienced in college and what I imagine could be gained in my current work-a-day life.

Benefits I saw in college:

1. Friendship - I had friends. Some close, some not so close. But a good group of people that I could be myself with. Who I could talk to about what I thought was important. Who I could have fun with. 
2. Practical Help - At that point it was mostly in the form of getting help with homework, study groups, and even the occasional class file from a previous semester. But it also extended to getting picked up when I wrecked my motorcycle almost an hour from school by a buddy with a truck and trailer. We were near his moms house so we dropped by and she fed us dinner. It took his whole evening up but he didn't mind. 
3. Accountability - We lived close to each other. We knew what was going on in each other's lives. More than once I got called out on stuff that I really didn't need to doing. It kept me in line. 
4. Mentoring - Despite the minimal age difference within our group there was a good deal of mentoring going on. The upper classmen (engineering school so "men" isn't very inaccurate) would give advice and assistance to the lower classmen. It was relatively limited in scope, but it was there. 
5. Combining Skills - The Christian Campus Fellowship that had the house had a weekly "church" service as well as numerous small groups. There were a couple pastors who worked there, but most of the actual work was done by students. They organized events, played music, taught groups, and served in many different capacities. The end result was a rich environment that capitalized on the diverse skills of everyone in the group. 
6. Sharing Economic Resources - Just about every single person I knew in college lived with roommates. So there was tons of sharing. Sharing mowers, sharing cars, sharing clothes even (for the girls). It was common and made sense. Everybody saved thousands of dollars because of it.

Benefits I could see for today:

1. Friendship - This would be much the same, but it has added value because not only is it friendship for you, it is for your whole family. Family-Family friendships are a lot more complex, and I would argue beneficial than simply one-on-one relationships. 
2. Practical Help - Having a young family is tough. There is a lot of extra work that kids bring into the picture. There are a lot of lost sleep, and frazzled nerves. Having people around who are willing to watch the kids so mom can take a nap or for a date night is SOOO helpful. Especially when you don't have the money to hire a babysitter frequently. 
3. Accountability - Again, like friendship this follows the same idea, but it can happen at a deeper level. Leading a family is a big responsibility and having people who can call you out is important to do the best job you can. 
4. Mentoring - The more diverse your community is the more opportunity you have of finding people who have been where you are going. Whether it's in marriage or business/career. So many mistakes can be avoided when you have someone to show you the way. This is probably the biggest hole that I have seen that doesn't normally get filled. You can hire a baby sitter if you don’t have a friend to watch your kids, but having people who are confident enough in their skills to pass them on from a position of confidence is extremely rare, at least in my experience. 
5. Combining Skills - Any time you have a group of people there is going to be certain people with specialized skills and interests. One person my hate doing yard work, but loves teaching guitar. Or likes working on cars, but doesn't know how to set up their wifi. Helping each other out within a group can enrich everyone’s lives and save a ton of money. Plus the general interactions serve to further build up the community. 
6. Sharing Economic Resources - Having families who are willing to share time and resources is a significant economic efficiency. Not everyone needs a truck if someone does and is willing to share. How much time does someone's leaf blower sit being unused? This is a big paradigm shift for most people, but honestly single family homes are super inefficient compared to multi-family homes with shared spaces.

Another item I want to add here at the end is the general sense of belonging. Being part of a group. Being able to trust them and know that they have your back is a wonderful place to be. Contrasted with the stark aloneness of modern American culture community adds a depth of existence that can't be matched.

Brotherhood is built upon shared experiences.