There are certain topics which I think of writing
about but then step back… Why?? Well, for the sole reason that I wonder if I
can do justice to it in words. Questions like will words express my feelings
the way they should, will the reader know what am I trying to say?
Hmmm.. so there have been certain topics which I
hope I will be able to write on someday. However, today I have gathered courage
to discuss one such topic- Community. I hope I can express what I wish to about
my thoughts on community and its significance
So what is a community? A community comprises group
of people who come together for a common purpose or reason- could be because
they belong to the same educational institute, work organization, social
organization or follow one faith and its principles.
As we grow up, I think we all wish to belong to one
community even if that means to belong to a community which does not recognize
the concept of community at all, but somewhere and at some point each one of us
engages in community interactions, community actions and community relations.
Thus, community is something which we do recognize
and that makes me wonder then that what is the need or significance of a
community? And, how it may affect and shape a person?
I would like to use my personal example here. The
community I am referring to is my faith community or religious community-
something with which I was attached to even before I understood what it meant
to me or how significant it was in my life. As I came into this world, after
family, the community embraced me as a new entrant. I think my journey with the
community began from there and carried on through various interactions with its
members as I grew up. It continues till today as I interact with different age
groups in the community. My community made me understand that there are like
minded people atleast in terms of perceiving faith in my community. However, it
also introduced me to people who though belong to the same community perceive
the faith and its principles differently. However, the different approaches
that members of the same faith community take towards faith need not separate
them but can bring them together to dialogues and discuss. This virtue of
dialogue and appreciating the diverse approaches to the same subject itself
builds a strong, diverse and pluralistic community.
Here, I cannot but
emphasize that when I am talking about dialogue between members of a community
who may disagree on subjects, it is to highlight that a community need not have
people who are absolutely the same in their approach to things around them.
They may be carrying different perceptions about almost everything but that
does not create a drift in the community it can instead engage them in enquiry
and understanding of different perceptions. This itself could be significance
of a community which shapes a person wherein he/she is aware of different
perceptions and can engage in this diversity without feeling of discomfort. This
engagement can make a person not only confident but humble and modest
individual who respects sentiments of different humans on this earth.
I think I owe a lot to my community for making me
the person I am today, for preparing me to take challenges, having faith in
things and also for accepting that each person can think differently and he/she
has the right and freedom to express his thoughts so long as they result in
dialogue and not debate J
