Walking Each Other Home

Several of you have written asking about my community. So here it is.

For the past 19 years Wendy and I have lived with three hundred others in a Southern California CCRC (continuing care retirement community) established over a hundred years ago for retired Congregational missionaries. We now welcome any retirees fifty-five years old or older who are committed to justice, peace (and environmental sustainability). While no CCRCs are inexpensive, we remain at the lower range of entrance fees and monthly charges. A board of twenty-one, including six residents, sets policy, while the internal program is generated by a resident-governed Town Meeting.

Admission requirements include ambulatory heath and economic stability. However, once admitted there is a substantial resident-generated fund for anyone running short of money. Housing opportunities include independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing.

For years we have been searching for a term that describes the unique nature of the community. For a while we identified ourselves as “an intentional community,” but defining any single intention has evaded us. There are multiple differing intentions among us. One of our number suggested that the only intentional community he knew about was the KKK. For a while “The beloved community,” was tossed around, but that sounded saccharin, pious and self-serving.

A few days ago someone suggested that our central function was ”walking each other home.” And that may define what we are really about. The level of care for each other, with no one left out, is pervasive. We stick by each other from the time of admission until our minds and bodies have served their purpose and we die. No one declines and dies alone. We walk hand and hand wherever life leads, taking care of each other until our days come to an end.

But there is much more to it than that. Walking implies a pace. We do not run, we walk! We take our time accommodating our pace to the slower among us. Walking each other home also implies a journey, not just a destination. The goal of any journey is not just to arrive. Every step provides what may be an exciting experience, so we are more fixated on our common journey than on the ultimate destination.

We walk through the world and stay profoundly aware of everything on our path. We stay deeply engaged in what what goes in our mid-size city, in near-by Los Angeles and in California. Our volunteer work goes far beyond this half square mile, and we stay involved in scores of things well beyond our community.

Part of our common walk involves us in what is happening in the nation, so we remain profoundly aware of its direction. While there are no political creeds, we tend to be a robust progressive community with a clear political perspective. Our governing Board’s admission criteria include a commitment to “justice, peace and environment sustainability.” ‘We welcome gays and lesbians, and are diligently searching for ways to welcome those of other religions or no religion, as well as racial and ethnic minorities. While I do not speak for the community, if you read these weekly columns you probably get a clear sense of who we are.

There is among us a sturdy contingent of theologians and other academics who keep us intellectually aware. They offer courses and support conversation groups that are open to the curious. In addition, we have a solid mutual relationship with the five area colleges. Many of us regularly audit college class

While we no longer are identified with any one religion or denomination, there is an increasing commitment to spiritual values and practices. Our noon meals always begin with prayer offered by one of us. We also share a weekly Eucharist and a vesper service.

While we continue to walk each other home, the nature of the journey continues to be modified. While change is a fact of life, it has not always been comfortable here for long-time residents. As we complete the journey and arrive at our destination, we give thanks for those who have walked with us, and welcome a group of new pilgrims who in their own way will redefine the journey as they too walk each other home.