An Ongoing Task

Many of my stories, written over the past five years, are already out-of-date. Several amazing community builders have moved on – one now resides in long-term care, and another, having graduated, must currently focus on his career. Even entire groups have come and gone. Youth groups, in particular, tend to be short-lived, but as one effort fades, another equally creative venture rises to meet the challenges of a new cohort of Regent Park youth. Meanwhile, those groups that do survive must continually reinvigorate themselves and engage new members. Building community is a complicated and never-ending task.

To better understand the dynamics of community building, I reflect on several metaphors. For example, as I admire a tapestry, I stand amazed that through the painstaking interweaving of a motley assortment of coloured threads, an exquisite design can emerge. Similarly, I marvel at freshly baked bread, at how its various ingredients – flour, yeast, water, salt, sugar - if strenuously kneaded together can be transformed into a delicious loaf. Growing vegetables, likewise, requires numerous inputs – fertile soil, water, sunlight, warmth – before seeds will sprout, grow, flower, and miraculously yield a harvest of plump red tomatoes.

But perhaps the most powerful metaphor for community is that of a natural ecosystem. As a complex non-linear system, every living thing – from infinitesimal microbes to immense plants and animals – is directly or indirectly related to everything else and to the surrounding environment. Such networks of interconnection develop in relatively stable patterns, though if their various feedback loops become imbalanced, they may lead to a damaging tipping point. Interestingly, however, it is the most diverse and multifaceted ecosystems that exhibit the most stability and resilience. Agricultural monocultures, in contrast, are most at risk from wind and weather, infestation and disease, as well as the vagaries of commodity markets.

As I ponder these metaphors – weaving, baking, gardening, and natural ecosystems – I realize that community in Regent Park is, in fact, a complicated web of social interactions. To be healthy, this human ecosystem requires, first of all, a wide range of participants. Everyone has a role to play. No matter their age, their background, their socio-economic status, and even their facility in English, everyone has something to offer. Further, there must be a variety of ways to connect: at advocacy meetings, on sports teams, in community gardens, and even for those who are chronically too busy, during fleeting moments in the elevator or at the grocery checkout. But if only a few are engaged, the luxuriant growth of a strong ecosystem will grow thin and atrophy. This applies at all levels, but particularly in our community meetings; if there is not ongoing recruitment of new members and a healthy sharing of leadership roles, these groups will fail to thrive. In other words, community-building must be inclusive.

These metaphors also depict the process of connecting – weaving, kneading, cultivating, as well as all the symbiotic entanglements and synergies of an ecosystem. But in a human network, connections will thrive only if they are positive and healthy. Slander and gossip can all too easily wreak havoc on community. Groups that indulge in ongoing in-fighting will never grow strong. Even casual interactions do not open up possibilities if we only talk about our own worries or complain about the weather. In other words, we need our best values to create a community that is cohesive.

Values can be described in many ways, but I prefer that very succinct list given by an ancient Biblical prophet – “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly…”* Today, humility is a counter-cultural value**. But it is important in community building because, first of all, no one person can take full credit for success. We always owe a debt of gratitude to others, and there are always a myriad of other factors at play. And second, we never know the full impact of our efforts. In the tangled web of connections, we can never trace how something as small as an encouraging word to f riend may help them tackle a problem – or that the tackling of that problem may lead them onto a new path which in turn will benefit other lives.

While my metaphors speak of the need for both inclusion and cohesion in community-building, they point to so much more – the promise of transformation. A beautiful tapestry emerges, a loaf of bread rises, a tiny seed yields a harvest of delicious tomatoes, and a complex ecosystem thrives. These metaphors, I believe, speak truth because I see positive changes all around me, both in the lives of individuals and in the results of what they can accomplish together. Yes, I believe that healthy community has the power to transform.

But it is an ongoing task. That’s why I write my stories – to encourage myself to keep on building community. I also hope to encourage you to reach out to your neighbours – and live community.

*The Bible, Micah 6:8  

** See the final paragraphs of Mark Carney's book, Value(s), in which he ends with a section on the importance of humility.