"It is in the shelter of each other that the people live."
This is the Irish proverb that inspired a song by a band called Jars Of Clay. The song is called the Shelter, and the lyrics have been the catalyst for me to consider the importance of community. Jars Of Clay sing:
"For those who've yet to find it The place is near where love is moving Cast off the robes you're wearing Set aside the names that you've been given May this place of rest in the fold of your journey Bind you to hope You will never walk alone In the shelter of each other We will live We will live (Never walk alone)
If there is any peace If there is any war We must all believe Our lives are not our own We all belong God has given us each other And we will never walk alone In the shelter of each other We will live."
This is powerful truth. Our lives are not our own. We were not created to do life alone, we exist and thrive in community. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells about the power of community present in a small Italian immigrant town called Roseto in Pennsylvania, USA. It was noted that in Roseto, people died only from old age, there was no illness or medical conditions that was claiming lives. As this phenomenon was investigated, it was discovered that their culture was the reason – a culture of community living in community. It was an amazing discovery – the power of their community brought them health.
Without community we cant thrive. Even Hollywood knows this truth. If you have watched the blockbuster Castaway, you would have witnessed Tom Hanks slowly slip into insanity (with his friend Wilson – the volleyball) as he was isolated on a deserted island. Law enforcement also understands this truth. One of the harshest forms of punishment is solitary confinement. Isolate a man and you will destroy him.
Community causes us to thrive but isolation causes us to die.
I then began to consider the corporate world. Corporates aim to thrive, but how much community is present in the work place? Is this a place of thriving community where people use their skills and ability to impact those around them, or a place of isolation and selfish ambition? The word corporate speaks about a group of people working together, yet the truth is so often little or no community exists in any team or corporate.
As leaders, we set the tone and create the environment for community to exist. Would you say the people that you lead feel like they are living in the shelter of the others in their team?
We were created for community. I encourage you to use the gifts that you have been given to benefit others, to create the “shelter” that will cause your team to thrive!