Article – Family and Community

Community is obviously a hugely important part of religious life in any tradition, and family—the first micro-community we learn to inhabit—serves as a model for broader community systems. The health of a community depends a lot on the health of its members’ family dynamics.

Fathers have a huge influence on family, often being the heads of families, and hence we dedicate this article to all fathers.

The family unit is where we first learn what it means to love and to be loved. If we do not learn how to love and be loved, it is doubtful that we will be able to love our neighbors, much less those who look and think differently than us. This link is made rather explicit in the scriptures and doctrines of many religions, which is why we see God described as ‘The Father’ or ‘The Mother’ and strangers described as our brothers and sisters.

But what is your family? Is it just mother, father, grandparents? Does it not include the person who cooks for you every day? Or your classmate who sat next to you for ten years? Today, in a world where structures and norms are changing faster than the seasons, and the world is becoming a global village, the very idea of family has morphed and extended to include surrogates. In place of the mother-father paradigm, there could be two fathers, or a single parent, or just a grandparent, or a mentor. The possibilities are endless, while their nurturing roles remain the same — the right kind of unconditional love, combined with a gradual development of all the faculties.

Even before globalization, the concept of family in many religions has extended well beyond those we can see and know. In Chinese traditions like Taoism and Confucianism, this extends to reverence and respect for departed ancestors. Confucianism lays great emphasis on filial piety. For the Baha’i faith, the world is one family and the worshiping community of those belonging to the faith has no hierarchy of power, as everyone in the community is equal.

In Japan, Okinawans live by the principle of ichariba chode, a local expression that means “treat everyone like a brother, even if you’ve never met them before.” Similarly, the Hindu Rishis practiced and propagated the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning “the whole world is your family.”