The Importance of Community
What do you believe makes you a writer?
Surely, the act itself is enough.
All right, then what makes you a good writer?
It is my belief that the answer is community, though not as we know it today. This week, I was reading The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, in which he discusses the evolving interpretation of community and its importance.
Lewis was a scholar who, at first-hand, relished in the benefits of his college education. He commented that, during this time, individuality among his peers was celebrated for the differences that elevated one another and their works. As one can understand, when put in a room filled with informed minds of all sorts of topics, one is bound to learn something.
Though overtime, the idea of community shifted from individuals celebrating differences together to celebrating as one body. We see this through most institutions in our modern day: religious gatherings, cultured societies and schooling which promote one answer instead of interpretations.
It is definite that I do believe these institutions have their benefits and necessity in one’s life as they are important validations for one’s sense of self; though when communities gather, there is not much room for growth. If the discourse is within the confines of the knowledge of such community, there will always be a wall. You will only know so much.
As a writer, what truly makes you great is your curiosity. Your interest in learning about people, history, etymology, theology, philosophy—but don’t solidify your mind at the first answer you find. But understand that in this life there may not exist an answer to your curiosity, for it could be ever-changing. There may never be answers, only discussions. Just as there are so many books written of love, yet none are written the same.
The conclusion may change and evolve into something you never once thought yourself capable of believing. And that’s the beauty of community: to gain open-minded perspectives that one confined-minded person would never have explored. And for those who don’t have such an individualistic community, there are books, and there you are; the wielder of the pen, the author of the pages in which you share your individualism, your critical thought patterns, your current beliefs that may move as the wind changes though they add to the discussion. Community can also be created through this discussion.
Without the opportunity for discussion, minds are succumbed to homelessness because only the thoughts of others are there to reside, leaving no space for their own. The individual will feel unsafe to explore themself, no longer able to trust their own thought process.
At every curiosity you come across, it is important to reflect. Stretch your mind to new planes and discuss your findings with your community; build on it together through multiple perspectives and other curious findings. This is what it takes, I believe, to nurture your mind, and this is how, I know, you will be great.
