mDNA - communitas
Continuing our look at mDNA - communitas not comminity and how it applies to Northern Community. The other posts in the mDNA series are here
The mDNA model challenges the church in the western world to move or be led into a mode of communitas. There are significant challenges to be faced in doing so. The changes which pose so many adaptive challenges for the church have been incremental. The church may not appreciate the magnitude of the change over time. The church in the western world is not under the threat of active persecution as suffered by the early church and the church in China. This state of persecution was a key component in the communitas that emerged in these contexts. Can we in the western church invoke a sense of communitas without experiencing active persecution?
The concept of communitas is powerfully communicative, and has been incorporated into both literature and film. Hirsch describes a film plot where a hero and heroine develop a common purpose when faced with the threat of CIA rogue elements. This type of narrative structure has been often used in film in recent years. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings develops the motif of communitas around a group of hobbits who have a common task in the face of significant danger. Likewise, Spielberg’s ‘Band of Brothers’ follows the story of a company of the 101st airborne battalion of the United States Army and illustrates this same communitas. We are all familiar with the motif of community being developed around a common goal.
September 27th, 2005 at 5:15 pm
I have experienced this kind of communitas, training for fights, bullfighting, being a punk rocker in the early years when you were ostracized. But probably most profoundly by walking through some very difficult times with my wife. The bond that we have is amazing, but it was forged in the fires of tribulation.
The funny thing is tribulation does not always yeild this positive result, often it will, but just as often it will cause people to turn on each other, to run to safety or seclusion, to become mistrusting, or even to lose faith completely.
How do we create this kind of deep relationship usually only shared by those in extreme circumstances? Well my rather simplistic idea is push ourselve outside of our comfort zones, and then stay committed to Jesus and each other in the midst of it. Plant a church with college aged former addicts, rape victims and pschologically challenged individuals, and you will either destruct or develope communitas. Try and tackle the problem of homelessness for a few people. Deal with the refugee or asylum seeker issues. When we put ourselves outside of our own ability it forces us to depend on God, and each other. And if we commit to each other even after we fail, we have something special.
Ofcourse I love this kind of all or nothing endeavor, some say that makes me an abhoration, a freak, a maniac!!!
I am okay with it
the rev
September 28th, 2005 at 10:00 am
I’m not really sure how to write my thoughts on this, but I’ll give it a go….
How does the communitas concept sit with incarnational mission? For instance, the hobbits where unable to re-engage with their community once their grand adventure was over. The rest simply didn’t understand for they hadn’t experienced the same events in the same way.
If we are pushing for communitas in the church, are we distancing ourselves form the community around us?
Also, communitas seems to be something experienced only for a short time or for a specific event. Jesus disciples may well have experienced communitas when they walked with Jesus, but after the ressurection, it was only a warm memory. Can we still experience communitas in a memory? A common bond held together by history?
Finally, I can’t get past the persecution factor. All the really strong communitas experiences I have heard of have come into being through life threatening persecution. I doubt that Hirsch’s adaptive challenge is a strong enough ‘threat’, if it is one at all, for a communitas experience to occur. And like Rev says, sometimes these threats cause us to turn on each other anyway.
All undeveloped thoughts, I know. But thanks for putting the topics ‘out there’ Phil.
September 28th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
Once again you make some good points Matt.
I too cant beyond the persecution factor completely!
In terms of the Hobbits - I always felt like the Hobbits in a number of ways. First experience was when I was living and ministrying in the western suburbs - how my eyes were changed and yet when I returned to the East - I found it difficult to explain/articulate. The same after a short-mission trip to the poor areas in Suva Fiji. And now the emerging church scene - some established people don’t get it, want it, or see it.
This is a very difficult and painful dynamic for contexts like yours and mine Matt.
October 1st, 2005 at 11:41 pm
Funny, never picked you for a hobbit Phil! Perhaps I should check out your feet a little more closely next time we meet
The west-east transition, in Melbourne at least, is a killer. I grew up in the west and spent 24 great years there, only moving to the east when I got married because of work. Church wise I went from Werribee to North Balwyn - not sure you can get much different to that!
Anyway, perhaps you could say there was some sense of communitas with my western brothers and sisters that did make it hard to fit in to the more affluent eastern church. But perhaps it was more a case of simple culture shock. Now pastoring in the east, I’m guessing that if I went back to the west now, my experience would be the same, simply in reverse.
I dunno. Post the next bit of your essay and give me all the answers…!
October 2nd, 2005 at 7:53 am
It seems to me that thought the hobbits did have trouble relating to others at first it was only Frodo who couldn’t at all. The others became leaders, and were respected, and married into the community. I for one never felt that my bullfighting team couldn’t relate to others, but there was a bond that we had that was different. You get a pretty intense relationship with someone you trust your life and safety to.
I also think the adaptive challenge may be to weak to really cause it, however, if we continue to push the envelope of incarnation, I think we will see more of the communitas. We don’t need persecution, but rather a challenge great enough to make our lives dependent on others.
the rev