Speaking with Christian friends and colleagues, even those who are committed churchgoers and members of vibrant congregations, Seth Kaplan has come to the realization that Orthodox Jews have something even the closest-knit Christian communities, and most Americans, lack: a neighborhood. He writes:
Judaism makes place-based community the main organizing structure of life by marking both time and space in distinct ways. The rules of Shabbat ground us in our neighborhood, distancing us from the larger society while bringing us closer to one another.
Streets become full of people walking—to a neighbor’s house, a park, a prayer service, a celebration. Whenever we walk somewhere (or just sit outside), we encounter many familiar faces and get caught up in conversations. Families invite each other over for meals. As a pastor friend remarked when visiting on one Shabbat, the scene resembles a time from the 1950s before automobiles, television, and apps came to dominate daily life.
Embedded community is not only important to the future of our faiths, but also to the future of our country. Our growing social breakdown highlights this now more than ever.
Read more on First Things: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/10/the-cure-to-our-social-breakdown