Much has been discussed about community development both in the academic research community, business community, social services community and even in the religious community.  Terms used have varied from community development to community transformation and community engagement.
Many of the above mentioned entities are involved in community, for reasons other than simply wanting to see communities flourish.  Motivations range anywhere from the pressure of corporate social responsibility to the business of non-profit.  Religious groups have motivations of recruiting new converts and everyone seems to be in it for reasons other than the mutual benefit of living in a flourishing community.  Timothy in the biblical text describes an aspect of this kind of commuity by using the phrase  ’quiet and peaceable life.’  Many other biblical texts allude to the fact that God is immensely interested in communities (cities) and that He speaks of specific ways in which we can invest in our cities in a way that would cause them to flourish.  Flourishing is never birthed out of impure or selfish motives.  Flourishing is birthed out of our ‘way of being.’  It is birthed out of who we are, not what we think we should be, to gain some kiind of advantage.  It is a ‘way of being’ that wants to give, and invest and benefit and resource and add value without the expectation of a return.  Many in the viral community will probably say I am trying to sound like some kind of pious nut – that it is not possible to be that selfless.  Mother Theresa was!  Her only interest was conveying love and care.   Her notoriety never changed her motives, she understood perfectly that her community work was inspired by a loving, caring compassionate God.  The praise she received for her work didn’t affect her life time call to be of service to those she dwelt with - it was simply her ‘way of being.’  She didn’t need to change anything to do what she did, she didn’t need to attend a conference to understand her responsibilities, she wasn’t guilted into doing her work amongst the poorest of the poor because of some faulty belief system, and she didn’t approach it from the paternalistic view of knowing what is best for others.  She just did what came naturally to her.  How many of us can say the same about our community involvement.? If not we should re-examine why we do what we do!