What is Community

Community as defined by Webster "is a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage, a locality inhabited by such a group, a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists."

Does this define your community is it a place where you can go and associate with people of same heart and mind and many times same cultural and heritage? What does community mean to you?

I have been blessed to live in community for a long time and it has been more of a family than any of the definitions I have stated. It has been a place but more than that it has been a group of people. As I traveled I was blessed to be with a group of people who lived in a very close space for 3 ½ years. We formed a community. But more than that we formed a family.

I have been involved in peace walks for the last 10 years and what I have found is community can be anywhere and with anyone. We Trail of Dreams World Peace Walkers had formed a community with people of all different nationalities and cultures. As we traveled and walked around the world we were accepted into many communities and treated like family. Which says to me that community is also family?

I am now walking/riding across the USA with the 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace and I have been blessed again to have been accepted in many communities and treated like family. People take us into their homes and treat us as though they have been knowing us for a life time. It is such a rewarding feeling to know that unconditional love is at work in communities around the world.

I woke up this morning with my heart overflowing remembering how loving people have been to us since we started this journey. And it reminds me of my community back  in Atlanta.

We can form community anywhere and with anyone it can be 100 people or 10 people and sometimes it consists of you and one other person. There is no limit to it and it is as complex or as simple as you make it. That is your choice.

There are several kinds of communities being developed. People are finding like minded people and associating with them. Then there are those that are not in community because of one reason or the other but not because they don’t want to be. Is it our responsibility as a community to find out where they are?  Maybe they are elderly and can not get around. Is it just the resoponsibility of the Church to take on these kinds of matters? Or is it the responsibility of any person who has the heart to reach out to people who are feeling discluded?

We are our brothers/ sisters keeper. It is our responsibility as individuals to look out for those who are around us in need of our assistance. We have to take that responsibility and look out for our brothers and sisters right there in our back yard.

Are you in a community? Do you appreciate your community? Then support your community. Get involved and make your life and the lives of others around more enjoyable and full.

We the 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace walkers have been blessed to be in community in several places around the US and we are thankful for being treated just like one of your family. We received so much love that it was not hard to return that love. Thank you to all the communities that opened your hearts and your doors to give new meaning to our walk. For without you it would be impossible to continue on with so much heart. I will not begin to mention names but you know who you are.

As a member of the team I would like to say. I love you I appreciate you and I thank the Creator for you. Be blessed and keep reaching out and find your blessing s all around you.

 In Peace and Love

Karen  Hunter Watson

Member of the 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace