Jacob Morgan has defined community as "A collection or group of people who have something in common and interact". Notice there is no reference to a physical or geographic location. I believe in today's high tech world, that is no longer necessary. Today, our high tech community now is the internet, otherwise known as cyberspace.
I love Facebook and Twitter. They allow me to keep up with my community of friends. I have instant access to what's going on in my friends' lives through their posts, and they can see what's going on in mine as soon as I post information. My community stretches hundreds and thousands of miles into two different countries. I am sure there are others on these sites whose communities are global. We have interaction at all times of the day, but there is one component that I miss. It's called intimacy.
One of the pastors at my church, Jeff Maguire, gave a great message last night. He has a way of personalizing his messages, so that the key points stick with you long after the message is given. He shared about the characteristics of his local community. He lives in an area where the garages to the homes are on alleys. There are people of all ages and ethnicities in his community. He and his family recently returned from a trip and his Pakistani neighbors were gracious enough to invite them over for dinner. They also have a common policy where if their garage doors are open, neighbors freely walk in and visit. This happened recently when a neighbor dropped in and asked if Jeff's wife, Amanda was baking cookies. She wasn't, but she brought out what she needed and began to make cookies. There is trust and a level of intimacy in this community.
Trust is a major component in any relationship, whether it be in community like Jeff's, or on a more intimate level with friends. Jeff's community is an example of how a trusting, diverse community can interact safely. I think trust is an even greater characteristic in friendships. Now understand there is a difference between acquaintances and friendships. There is no intimacy in an acquaintance, but there are varying levels in a friendship. In a friendship, you expose yourself more, you become transparent. There is a level of intimacy that leads you to a deeper relationship where you can "call out" your friends and they can do likewise to you.
I've noticed that there is very little intimacy in social networks. I don't know that I would be posting things there that people I barely knew would be able to read. My aim is to make all my social network friends, true friends. I've been able to reconnect with people that I had lost touch with since my high school days over thirty-five years ago. Part of the process is to visit with them and reestablish the intimacy that I feel is necessary in a friendship. It's amazing to know that even after all that time, we picked up like we had just seen each other the week before. When real friendships are established, they endure time and distance.
I love Facebook and Twitter. They allow me to keep up with my community of friends. I have instant access to what's going on in my friends' lives through their posts, and they can see what's going on in mine as soon as I post information. My community stretches hundreds and thousands of miles into two different countries. I am sure there are others on these sites whose communities are global. We have interaction at all times of the day, but there is one component that I miss. It's called intimacy.
One of the pastors at my church, Jeff Maguire, gave a great message last night. He has a way of personalizing his messages, so that the key points stick with you long after the message is given. He shared about the characteristics of his local community. He lives in an area where the garages to the homes are on alleys. There are people of all ages and ethnicities in his community. He and his family recently returned from a trip and his Pakistani neighbors were gracious enough to invite them over for dinner. They also have a common policy where if their garage doors are open, neighbors freely walk in and visit. This happened recently when a neighbor dropped in and asked if Jeff's wife, Amanda was baking cookies. She wasn't, but she brought out what she needed and began to make cookies. There is trust and a level of intimacy in this community.
Trust is a major component in any relationship, whether it be in community like Jeff's, or on a more intimate level with friends. Jeff's community is an example of how a trusting, diverse community can interact safely. I think trust is an even greater characteristic in friendships. Now understand there is a difference between acquaintances and friendships. There is no intimacy in an acquaintance, but there are varying levels in a friendship. In a friendship, you expose yourself more, you become transparent. There is a level of intimacy that leads you to a deeper relationship where you can "call out" your friends and they can do likewise to you.
I've noticed that there is very little intimacy in social networks. I don't know that I would be posting things there that people I barely knew would be able to read. My aim is to make all my social network friends, true friends. I've been able to reconnect with people that I had lost touch with since my high school days over thirty-five years ago. Part of the process is to visit with them and reestablish the intimacy that I feel is necessary in a friendship. It's amazing to know that even after all that time, we picked up like we had just seen each other the week before. When real friendships are established, they endure time and distance.
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