Rebirth and Death for Community Development (Part I)
"Such sacrifice hurts because it is a kind of death, the kind of death that is necessary for rebirth." - M. Scott Peck
Most self improvement advises I read, heard, and saw were mostly individualistic. But did we ever consider that we people are social animals? Did we ever consider that the big part of who we are is based on how our community functions?
Most things I read about how will a community function well is vague...
My course is Community Development but still, I still have no foundation or philosophy on how will I be as a Community Development worker. Until I read Scott Peck's stages of community.
People will always be different, the answer are not totalitarian measures.
Community development is always discussed as something that is about changing the mindset of people inside a group. It is mostly about dictating a certain measure on how a society will progress. Some will say it is about changing a system or some will say it is about reform. But still, they gave me a vague idea on how a community will flourished.
Some will rub it in your face how a community must do. Some may say they need a revolution. Some would argue that it should be armed and some would say it shouldn't be. Some would say that laws should be made instead, what's the point of revolt? But all of these people who suggest a certain way to progress wants everyone to agree with them. They will bash people with different opinions and they will say how absurd the other's idea is.
I was pondering upon how it never crosses their mind that people will always be different. And I was scared that these varying opinions on things, on progress, and on development might be the cause of regression.
Rebirth and Death
The concept of rebirth and death for community development is something new to me. I have always believed that this concept is something that is needed for people to improve, grow, and maximize their life. When this former Harvard professor applied this in a communal setting, I agreed instantly and I somehow felt like my questions have been answered.
Scott Peck said that there must be a certain "kind of death that is necessary for rebirth." This concept was also connoted by religions and well-known philosophers.
In Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, this was shown through the concept of reincarnation. Born again is a popular term that is used by protestants when a person had a spiritual rebirth. And even Pythagoras, mostly known for his theorem in Geometry, is the one who coined reincarnation as the migration of souls.
This concept has already been told and interpreted in many ways for individualistic ways, but it is my first time seeing this used for a group's growth.
Scott Peck's Stages of Community
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."
Pseudocommunity, chaos, emptiness, and finally community. This author made perfect sense to me. You know the feeling when somebody actually gets you? The feeling when you finally found someone who actually gets how you feel? That feeling when someone already knows you when you've just met? That's what I felt when I was reading his article.
Chaos, I believe the necessity of chaos for growth. There is a need to explore life to have depth as an individual and also as a community. A well known yet misinterpreted philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche quoted this concept as "One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
Emptiness and the acceptance that people will always be different is a healthy mindset. God made us differently, every cell and atom of us are made unique by him.
To have a true community, recognize everyone's differences.
Jasna Nicolas
GBCS Intern 2017 - Creation Justice Ministries
June 18, 2017
Most self improvement advises I read, heard, and saw were mostly individualistic. But did we ever consider that we people are social animals? Did we ever consider that the big part of who we are is based on how our community functions?
Most things I read about how will a community function well is vague...
My course is Community Development but still, I still have no foundation or philosophy on how will I be as a Community Development worker. Until I read Scott Peck's stages of community.
People will always be different, the answer are not totalitarian measures.
Community development is always discussed as something that is about changing the mindset of people inside a group. It is mostly about dictating a certain measure on how a society will progress. Some will say it is about changing a system or some will say it is about reform. But still, they gave me a vague idea on how a community will flourished.
Some will rub it in your face how a community must do. Some may say they need a revolution. Some would argue that it should be armed and some would say it shouldn't be. Some would say that laws should be made instead, what's the point of revolt? But all of these people who suggest a certain way to progress wants everyone to agree with them. They will bash people with different opinions and they will say how absurd the other's idea is.
I was pondering upon how it never crosses their mind that people will always be different. And I was scared that these varying opinions on things, on progress, and on development might be the cause of regression.
Rebirth and Death
The concept of rebirth and death for community development is something new to me. I have always believed that this concept is something that is needed for people to improve, grow, and maximize their life. When this former Harvard professor applied this in a communal setting, I agreed instantly and I somehow felt like my questions have been answered.
Scott Peck said that there must be a certain "kind of death that is necessary for rebirth." This concept was also connoted by religions and well-known philosophers.
In Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, this was shown through the concept of reincarnation. Born again is a popular term that is used by protestants when a person had a spiritual rebirth. And even Pythagoras, mostly known for his theorem in Geometry, is the one who coined reincarnation as the migration of souls.
This concept has already been told and interpreted in many ways for individualistic ways, but it is my first time seeing this used for a group's growth.
Scott Peck's Stages of Community
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."
Pseudocommunity, chaos, emptiness, and finally community. This author made perfect sense to me. You know the feeling when somebody actually gets you? The feeling when you finally found someone who actually gets how you feel? That feeling when someone already knows you when you've just met? That's what I felt when I was reading his article.
Chaos, I believe the necessity of chaos for growth. There is a need to explore life to have depth as an individual and also as a community. A well known yet misinterpreted philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche quoted this concept as "One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
Emptiness and the acceptance that people will always be different is a healthy mindset. God made us differently, every cell and atom of us are made unique by him.
To have a true community, recognize everyone's differences.
Jasna Nicolas
GBCS Intern 2017 - Creation Justice Ministries
June 18, 2017
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