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The word "community" usually refers to a way of being together that gives us a sense of
belonging. Often students complain that they do not experience much community in their
school; ministers and priests wonder how they can create a better community in their parishes;
and social workers, overwhelmed by the alienating influences of modern life, try hard to form
communities in the neighborhoods they are working in. In all these situations the word
"community" points to a way of togetherness in which people can experience themselves
a meaningful part of a larger group. Although we can say the same about the Christian
community, it is important to remember that the Christian community is a waiting community,
that is, a community which not only creates a sense of belonging but also a sense of estrangement.
In the Christian community we say to each other, "We are together, but we cannot fulfill
each other...we help each other, but we also have to remind each other that our destiny
is beyond our togetherness." The support of the Christian community is a support in common
expectation. That requires a constant criticism of anyone who makes the community into a safe
shelter or a cozy clique, and a constant encouragement to look forward to what is to come.