Community at Sesame Street

Following a significant transition, I have once again been readjusting and acclimating to our new home.  This includes not just the actual house where we reside but also the communities into which we have entered.  There are for us several layers to community, as we share life together.  First, we are surrounded by a lovely community in Clay County/Hayesville where we live.  Second, we are living out faith and ministry within the community Reid's Chapel United Methodist Church where I serve.  Third, we are experiencing community through Young Harris College where my husband serves.

I couldn't help but think about my own life in community while the 40th anniversary celebrations were happening for Sesame Street last week.  It brought to mind community, neighbors, and life together.  How could it not, after all?  This is a street filled with friendship, laughter, learning, conversation, and sharing.  Then, my reflections about community at Sesame Street were confirmed when I saw Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Abby in a Today Show interview.

When asked by Matt Lauer what they have planned for the next 40 years at Sesame Street, Elmo responded:  "We hope that we get to sing and dance and love each other as much as we have been loving each other for 40 years."  My intention is not to moralize or to be sappy, but I think that Elmo has offered a helpful message about life together in community.  Maybe thinking about it as simply as this will help those of us who strive and even struggle to live together because, with or without new transition, community life is not always easy.

So, how do we form, nurture, and sustain life together in community?

Singing...

Dancing...

Loving each other...

This is a pretty good start!!