By Ann Austin, Live United

We often talk about “community” as if it were a place or an idea rather than the reality of the way we live and interact with each other on a daily basis.

We compare communities — especially neighboring ones such as Minneapolis-St. Paul or Albert Lea-Austin and discuss their differences; what makes one better than the other, why we would prefer to live or work in one or the other.

So often in life, we compare, we categorize; we rationalize our perceptions. We try so hard to define what our community is, rather than accepting it as it exists and allowing it to evolve as it will.

This year, I have found myself drawn to the author, poet, philosopher and Catholic scholar by the name of John O’Donohue. He had the most beautiful acceptance of life and of human beings, including himself.

In his book “Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on our Yearning to Belong,” he speaks about the concept of community toward the very end:

“The ideal of community is not the forcing together of separate individuals into the spurious unity of community. The great traditions tell us that community somehow already exists. When we come together in compassion and generosity, this hidden belonging begins to come alive between us. … We do not so much build community as if it were some external and objective structure as we allow community to emerge. In order for community to emerge, we need time, vision and a certain rhythm of silence with each other.

“We often hear the phrase ‘community spirit,’ which recognizes that community is not so much an invention or construction of its members, but a gift that emerges between them and embraces them. We do not make community. We are born into community. We enter as new participants into a drama that is already on. We are required to maintain and, often, reawaken community.”

It may seem like our community has not been evolving as quickly as people would like, that we have not recovered from the recession or that we are living up to the ideals set for us by the generations that passed before.

But ours is a living community, people are becoming engaged and finding purpose in their work and in their interactions. Much of our lives are based on what we accomplish, but there is another side to our experience that values the depth of our connection to others. We are far more successful with our efforts when we have great respect and admiration for those we work alongside.

John closes his meditation with this wonderful thought:

“Perhaps community is a constellation. Each one of us is a different light in the emerging collective brightness. A constellation of light has greater power of illumination than any single light would have on its own. Together we increase brightness.”

We are meant to engage each other — we are meant to pass on the flame and reawaken the potential that exists in our community.

Ann Austin is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.