One of the marvelous gifts and blessings I have received by living in this town for the past 30-plus years is its strong sense of community spirit. Granted, like all cities and towns, it has its dark side, but overwhelmingly my experience here has been one of compassion and generosity. I wonder, where does that come from?

Traditionally, those of us in the “church world” like to think that, as a result of our efforts to “preach the gospel” and to “do good works in the name of Christ,” we influence the world around us to the point that we are “building the kingdom of heaven,” which results in good communities.

And to be sure, to some degree I think that these ideas, to some extent, are true. For example, our local food bank, The Lord’s Storehouse, and The Salvation Army service extension unit for Uinta County both developed from the work of organized churches. But what about those expressions of community spirit by service organizations and individuals that simply show up to help whenever there are significant needs?

What is it that motivates people, both individually and in groups, to offer themselves in service to a community? What is it that draws us out of our cocoons of accumulation and self-preservation into the world around us willing to share our resources for the common good? Where does this expression of care and compassion for others come from?

Is it possible that the essence of who we are as human beings is one of goodness? Could it be that when given the opportunity we are more likely to build than to destroy? It is difficult, needless to say, to accept such an idea when we are aware of all of the negative realities around us.

Unfortunately, it is easy to look at those difficult and miserable aspects of life and conclude that we are a seemingly hopeless lot! However, if we accept the invitation to look at the persistent expressions of goodness and hope that are also present among us we can experience that powerful positive spirit that more profoundly defines our community.

Let us return to the earlier question — where does this spirit come from? Those of us from the various religious disciplines are wont to claim it is from God. That is perhaps one way to describe it, but others might say it is a part of ultimate reality, or, that which is beyond us, or simply, the universe.

I wonder, does it really matter how we express it? Would it be enough to say something like, “Hey! This is a great place to live. It has a wonderful spirit about it! People care about each other here!”

To be sure, the religious tradition of which I am a part, the Anglican version of expressing and living the Christian faith, is one way of affirming the spiritual foundation of community. There are many others as well that proclaim the Way of Love of Jesus of Nazareth as a manifestation of the Spirit of authentic community.

However, I am convinced that there are many other helpful expressions of the unseen motivation and power that results in the building of community, service to others in need, and the resulting better life for all of us.

Consider then the ongoing open invitation to participate in the building of our community. Find a group, or groups that help us express our desire to be part of something larger than ourselves. Seek ways to help and serve others and experience that satisfaction and joy of community participation. Catch the Spirit!