Community [PBP]

Today I’d like to talk about community.  It seems to be a very appropriate subject for the Pagan Blog Project which is all about building the online pagan community.

In the last year, I have been getting more involved with the local and online pagan communities.  I’ve joined a local ADF grove, a local working group, and have been more present on Facebook with my pagan online community.  You could say I’m definitely coming out more 🙂

Community is something that is important to us all, people of all religions.  No matter what gods we worship, no matter where we live, connecting to people outside of ourselves is critically important.  It’s what helps us stay grounded, it’s how we can survive when we hit tough times, it’s where we find mates, find friends, and find those connections outside ourselves.

The internet allows us to make connections much more easily.  It’s easy to find people who are local, or who have the same ideals, or religion, or hobbies, or whatever … it’s also easy to find the crazies (and I don’t mean crazy in a good way).  Make sure you understand how to protect yourself on the internet, but do reach out and connect!  Connecting on the internet is a great way to connect to new people, but you need to take it further into a personal connection.

For real community, we need to connect on a personal level.  For far-flung friends, that means email, instant messaging, text, phone calls, and maybe the occasional in-person meeting when circumstances allow.  If you’re closer, in driving distance, of each other, make the effort to meet in person.  Learn more about each other, discover the level of connection you have, and build a community.  Try to find local meet-ups, shops, or other areas where people gather and meet people!  You may be surprised who you find 🙂

Take the chance, build a connection, start a community.

With community we can raise each other up!