It is always worth remembering that any true freedom, interior or exterior, is gained in solidarity with God and others. Father Richard Rohr offers several practical ways to experience community and discover a bigger reality beyond ourselves:
Our Western culture leans toward self-sufficiency and independence, and we often need to be reminded that we are part of a greater whole and that we are not alone in our longings and efforts for peace, justice, and healing. This is one of the great gifts of what we usually mean by “church”—a gathering of people in solidarity of purpose, praying and seeking God’s presence together.
Find some way in which you can join in the life that is greater than your own. Participate in a vigil, sharing the grief and hope of your neighborhood or world. March with others to bring visibility and voice to an important issue. Make a pilgrimage to a sacred or violated site to connect your small place in time with a history and a broader meaning.
Rest in the knowledge that God’s Spirit weaves your participation as a single thread within a life-renewing pattern. You are connected to the source of Life!