I’m 60 years old and I heard something for the first time ever this week: The concept of “thick” communities. I suspected the letters stood for something like Trendy Homes In Cuddly Communes. (I watched a video, so I didn’t know the spelling for sure!) Turns out, “thick” is more descriptive than acronym-tive.
According to author David Brooks, “thick” in this context carries connotations of:
• A physical location, often cramped, where members meet face to face on a regular basis
• A set of collective rituals
• Shared tasks
• A sacred origin story
• A common ideal
• An idiosyncratic local culture
• A shared goal
• Initiation rituals
• A sacred guidebook or object passed down from generation to generation
• Distinct jargon
• People tend to like the version of themselves that is called forth by such places.
• Intimacy and identity borne out of common love
Does that sound good or what? Does it sound like your church?
This has me wondering how thick Muslim communities are. I tend to think Muslims might be better overall at community. The global community, or ummah, certainly is viewed as a big deal.
Maybe we perceive them to have thick communities because we often see Muslims in minority contexts. It makes sense, if you’re among the few of you in a given chunk of geography, to stick together.
Of course their relatively thick communities also hinder Muslims from following Jesus. This is why ministry efforts that focus on whole families following Jesus fill me with hope. “Father God give us turnings to Jesus like we read about in the book of Acts, preserving community, while shifting allegiance to the Lord.”
The older I get, the more I appreciate and long for thick communities. I want my church to look like the list above. I want to foster and offer thick community both locally and among Muslims who find Jesus all over the place.