Editorial
Seeking the Blessed Community
From Sudan to Chicago or Shanghai, defining, enjoying, and sustaining a blessed community is a tough assignment. Since humans became human, we’ve hungered for a thriving, protective community, achieving it sometimes, utterly failing much of the time. In South Asia 2300 years ago, Emperor Ashoka was a blood-thirsty marauder bent on extending his empire … until a change of heart on the battlefield. Abandoning warfare and embracing peace, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and went on to champion an interfaith culture dedicated to tolerance and nonviolence. It was a great period in human history but lasted less than a century.
This month TIO explores what seeking a blessed, beloved community can be like today, along with suggestions about how to achieve it. (Blessed and beloved so overlap that we felt comfortable using both in this issue.)
Following a meditation on gratitude, six articles shine light on various venues where people seek a blessed, beloved community. In a world with as many problems as humankind faces today, it is heartening to hear about wonderful activities in small groups and large that are pursuing a blessed, beloved community. Such seeking can be infectious, a respite from the daily news, and so satisfying to enjoy. In the face of climate change, angry communities, and nuclear weapons, seeking the blessed community may be the most practical, consequential, and satisfying thing we can do with our lives.
Header Photo: Wikimedia
