Redefining Community (Nii Addy)

The global digital community (image courtesy of Pixabay)

The global digital community (image courtesy of Pixabay)

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25)

In a short two-week period, our understanding of corporate gatherings has drastically changed! Group gatherings in university classrooms, offices, coffee shops, restaurants, concert halls, and churches have been replaced by Zoom and Skype meetings, online lectures, online church services, and even online dance parties. But balancing this necessary social distancing with our need for in-person human interaction is not an easy task.

In college, I wasn’t much of a “phone person” and I wasn’t very verbose during most calls (unfortunately for my then girlfriend, and now my wife). Thankfully, I’ve improved in my phone conversations over the years. And text messages have also given me another way to communicate from a distance. But I still strongly prefer in-person interactions over machines and technology. As my family can attest from my childhood home video adventures (back when we actually used video cameras instead of phones), I was always one to avoid the camera, if possible. But with social distancing measures in place, I’m now relegated to Zoom meetings, Google Chats, and phone conferences with my research group, colleagues, family, and friends.

For me, as for many of you, it’s been a stretch to maintain a sense of community in the midst of social distancing. But in addition to the health consequences and health care system challenges associated with COVID-19, social isolation itself can adversely affect our physical and mental health.

At the moment, there’s understandable fear and anxiety associated with COVID-19 in the United States and worldwide. As I’ve written elsewhere, we can address COVID-19 fear and anxiety in several practical ways. At the very least, we should make ourselves available to listen to those who are struggling emotionally. We also need to support those among us who deal with mental health challenges that can be worsened by social isolation. For many who already struggle with anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), addiction, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social distancing and quarantine measures can make things more difficult. In these situations, it’s critical that we stay connected, and if needed, point people towards available support services.

Even as we make efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, we must remember to practice social distancing, not social isolation.  Social distancing can still be done together. In other words, we need to creatively maintain our community gatherings and remain true to Hebrews 10:25 – to encourage one another in community – even if this mode of “interacting” is outside our preferred norms.

Over the last week, I’ve noticed many innovative ways that people are cultivating community. These online gatherings have included video lunch meetings, book clubs, town hall meetings, Bible studies, prayer meetings, church services, and karaoke get-togethers. Personally, these gatherings have provided me with a sense of connectedness – even as one who sometimes prefers to avoid phone calls and virtual meetings. As I’ve gathered with other Christians, God has also shown His presence, reminded us of His sovereignty, and used us to encourage one another.

All of these meetings involve a gathering of community without brick and mortar, without roof or doors, without a physical structure to bring us together. They are a constant reminder that a community is never bound by the physical space it occupies. At this unique moment in history, as Christians and as members of the human family, we have a tremendous opportunity to experience the strength of our greater community and extend it beyond the walls of any church building.

As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, let us not neglect our meeting together, but encourage one another as we are called.

Nii Addy, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Carver Project Board of Trustees.

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