My Turn: Lawrence S.

My Communiy-Life in Malawi

The term community could be defined in several ways. One of the definitions by Cambridge International Dictionary of English is: " People who are considered as a unit because of their common interests." I like this definition.

Every community experience has the potential to be life-giving or life draining. The outcome depends on how well the members understand the very normal group dynamics that occur in any community. Here, in the following paragraphs I would like to share my own experience of living in an FIC community in Malawi.

I have been around as a Brother FIC for some time now and what has been my experience of Community living, especially our FIC Communities?

The word community is not a word I came to know when I became a religious brother at all. Way back in the village where I grew up, people lived and still live in communities and the definition given above was actually what I experienced then. It's only now, that things seem to go exotic and this is actually the source of the misery we go through today.

FIC COMMUNITIES - MALAWI

When I came to Mzedi in 1992/3 to start my aspirancy year, our Mzedi Community then, had both old, and young and brothers, and this was the composition of our community. Did I actually experience it as a unit of people who had common interest? My first response would be somehow yes.

I can say with conviction that, living as a unit, was somehow lacking, we had brothers who believed only their line thinking and I have vivid experiences of that period. What do I see now? I have some hope that despite our smaller numbers; although sometimes it's very difficult if not impossible to put at least two brothers in one institution so that they canl support one another, our brothers in their own way still strive to live as a community.

What I pray for now, is that each brother in his own way, how small or big his effort is, must in the first place, think of our FIC Community in Malawi and how he personally contributes to the growth of this community and that we be recognized as a UNIT of people with common interest.

As an FIC Community, let's cast off, our personal cravings for recognition, achievements and recognize the small efforts our brothers are doing and that we also be part of whatever our FIC community is striving to proclaim.

An before I dispatched this article to the webmaster, I watched a congregational gathering on the television, and one of the speakers said, " imagine that the there are 1 million people in this hall, and that each one decides to contribute just Mk10.00, how much would be realized?

The efforts of one person only are very decimal but as a group, we can do wonders if each one does his part and be committed to this ideal..." a unit of people of common interest' is said to be a community.

Br Lawrence Sitima