Thinking of Halloween got me thinking about Community.
The Catholic Church is big on Community.
For Catholics, dead or alive, you're in the community.
The All Hallowed have made it.
Some of them are famous, most aren't.
The Not Quite Hallowed are getting there.
Many we know on a first name basis.
Departed family, friends, neighbors, store clerks.
Then there's the rest of us.
Doing the best we can, with a little help from our friends.
Well, that's what Community is.
The Hallowed remember what it was like and help us out.
That's just the way they are.
The Not Quites need help from the Hallowed and us.
We can help the Not Quites and each other.
Family, friends, neighbors, store clerks, strangers.
When there's a drought or flood, we know it's time to help out.
We don't need a name or much personal information.
We just know someone needs help.
Last week we paused and remembered how folks helped each other on 9/11.
Ten years ago and it feels like yesterday.
It wasn't just the professionals who were helping others.
Regular people, who just couldn't leave someone stranded, jumped in to help.
Some stayed with strangers to the end.
If you die with someone, is he a stranger?
The Bible is big on the importance of neighbors.
Both Testaments....
Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. Proverbs
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Leviticus
also in Matthew, Mark, Romans, Galatians, James
Don't like the Bible?
How about literature...
No man is an island...every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne
Community.
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