Cohousing-L Mailing List: Spiritually Sustainable Communities

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

I know we went a few rounds on the cohousing list server earlier about how
cohousing and spiritual pursuits should *not* be related -- folks said coho &
spirit/religion were best kept separate - like our American separation of
church and state.


I can see that viewpoint.  Yet my sense is that having a spiritual dimension
can be a huge unifying influence and thereby serve to help a community form
in the first place and sustain itself longer -- because people feel they are
serving a higher power or higher purpose.  

By spiritual dimension, I mean the universal things that all/most religions
have in common.  Unless all community members belong to the same (or a
similar) faith, I believe members of each faith should observe their
religions as they see fit and not let them impinge on others in the
community.  Perhaps the whole community might have times when they
salute/recognize/celebrate each other's religions.

I hope my future community will have a "spiritual dimension" that includes
the following:

-  The Universe is a benevolent place, yet more awesome and amazing and
mysterious and more orchestrated than we can grasp.

-  That this planet is incredibly beautiful and precious and that we need to
share it with a great diversity of carbon-based life forms for it to continue
to nurture us all.

-  That individuals must serve the whole.  No human (or society or community)
is an island apart from the whole.  Yet each of us is wonderfully unique and
deserves to be appreciated for our uniqueness.  As the Quakers say, each
person has a piece of the truth.  I'd add:  Each is his/her own species, yet
all are connected to the whole.


I would hope members could maintain their Christian, Buddhist, Native
American, Muslim, Taoist, etc., beliefs and still take part in the
celebrations and tolerate, nay, celebrate the diversity. 

To build/reinforce the feeling of awe and connectedness with the Universe, I
hope my community will have regular celebrations such as the solstices,
equinoxes, etc.  By celebrating the connectedness, we can overcome a lot of
the small conflicts that arise between people and the community will be more
sustainable.

I've taken part in celebrations like this.  The FIC's "Celebration of
Community" in Olympia, WA, in the summer of '93 had some wonderful, moving
ceremonies that had a unifying -- even (dare I say?) uplifting -- effect.

So, it's almost the Summer Solstice - June 21.  Celebrate it and see how it
feels.

Mike M