Joe defines functional community as a place where everyone understands that their individual health is tied to the health of the whole. When a marriage is struggling within a community, it’s not “their problem”—it’s a reflection of the community’s health, and healing it heals everyone.
“In the most functional sense of the word, the community is where everybody understands that their health is tied to the health of the community.”
This is not about fixing others or feeling responsible for their problems. It’s about recognizing that issues in the community are “our issues” rather than “their issues.” When Joe’s community held a grief ceremony, the healing wasn’t just for the grieving couple—everyone in attendance was strengthened and healed by the experience.
This requires a paradox: everyone must take personal responsibility for themselves while simultaneously recognizing collective responsibility for the community. It breaks down when someone becomes a victim to the community or when someone tries to tell others what to do.
Related Concepts
- Real community requires non-judgmental witnessing, not fixing
- Vulnerability produces love, not rejection