Reader’s Corner: Does community thought need a comeback?

Should we make more time in our schedules for community gatherings and community thought, sharing ideas with others in a non-combative space? After our vacation trip, which included visiting the settings for such community among some of my favorite American authors, my answer is, “Yes, we should.” 

My husband and I were privileged to tour Orchard House, the home in Concord, Massachusetts, where Louisa May Alcott lived with her family, which inspired the setting and characters for “Little Women.” Prior to the visit, I knew that other authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau, had also lived in the area. 

What I hadn’t realized, however, was the proximity that allowed for mutual encouragement. We saw the Old Manse, which was owned by Emerson’s grandfather who regularly welcomed authors to spend time there while working at their craft. We also learned that Bronson Alcott, Louisa May’s father, converted an outbuilding on the family property to a regular gathering space for exchange of ideas. While some people may be aware of their Transcendentalist religious thought, as I was, I hadn’t really thought about the importance of simply gathering for civil discussion, regardless of whether one agreed with every idea presented. 

Our Orchard House tour guide shared a humorous story of Louisa’s sister, May, the model for Amy in “Little Women.” Like Amy, May was an artist, and her parents encouraged her to decorate her own bedroom walls with her art. Wishing to copy a classic painting, May simply walked to her neighbors, the Emersons, and borrowed the original from their wall to work from! 

Gathering for thought was not new in the 1700s. The book of Acts in the Bible refers to the practice of gathering at Mars Hill in Athens to discuss the latest ideas; the Apostle Paul’s familiarity with the practice, and with some of the philosophies being discussed, gave him the opportunity to introduce the gospel! The Apostle Peter also encouraged people to be ready to give an answer “to anyone who asks the reason” regarding the gospel, implying there would be occasions for such inquiry. 

With TikTok and YouTube, anyone with a phone can be an “influencer,” but processing and refining thoughts is often better done in community. Personally, I enjoyed the recent Evangelical Press Association conference for that very reason, and I enjoy other writing groups.  Church small groups and Bible study groups center Christian community around study. State of the Ozarks Writers and Artists Night helps build new connections, and book clubs offered by our local libraries are great for making new friends and sharing ideas; often, joining a club leads to reading a book one might not have considered otherwise, opening up new avenues of thought. If your input lately has been limited to your TV or phone, consider finding some places for shared thought!