What you’re experiencing is the result of our individualistic culture. Your work and "play" time does not have to be black and white. Being in a "cushy" job and living in suburbia will not provide you with more intimacy with your close friends. Too much luxury demeans the cost of life. Likewise, becoming a workaholic and coming home to an "empty apartment" will not be a great benefit to the world. Too much work values programs over people. Everything is meant to be in community.

In modern American culture, individualism has grown to such an extent that it is advised to "not bring your work home with you" and to "not bring personal issues into the work place." This estrangement of work and personal life translates to how people view political and social issues. Rich people, even so-called liberals, feel fine taking part in campaigns to help poor people, but are themselves unwilling to become poor in solidarity with the people they aim to help. Compassion comes from understanding, and understanding comes from solidarity.

Solidarity requires investment of all parts of your life to living for a cause. It makes the political personal, because you are not merely working for others, but your own survival depends on the success of the community. People are often ready to make commitments, but are hesitant in surrendering and disarming themselves. God asks us to surrender ourselves to Him and to others, and acts of surrender, not commitment, is what matters in relationships and in all causes.

Social change comes from breaking down walls of wealth, power, privilege, etc. that separate us. We cannot expect to change the world if we do not learn how to break the walls that keep us from living in community here at home.

There can be fear of community not being as professional has corporations and being less efficient than the factory model. Community and professionalism are not exclusive. The main reason the factory model seemingly works well is because not enough people understand community living. Instead of community, some people focus all their interests on themselves or their family, which promotes individualism. Three reasons exist for what people live for: 1) for themselves, 2) for their family, 3) for everyone. Each one of us will continue to live a fragmented life until we start living for the third reason, which is identical to living for God.

To see a real-life example of what I mean, you can read this article on The New Monasticism and simple living at http://www.interconnectedness.net/newmonasticism.pdf

Community

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize