Jenna Wall: Communitas

Jenna Wall - 4/23

Turner discusses the idea of communitas, or an unstructured community built of people who are equal. When going on a pilgrimage there is a huge sense of communitas. The people walking the trail come from different places and have different stories, but that all goes away. They are able to bond over things in the here in now. It is no longer about social class, work hierarchy, race, or past mistakes: it is suddenly about the transformation they are all about to have. The idea of communitas is really interesting to me and something I long for in some ways. Don't get me wrong, communities are great! However, communitas gives a sense of equality that you don't get from a community. This summer I am going on a missions trip where I hope to get this sense of communitas. It will certainly be a spiritual journey for all of us, and I hope that we are able to treat each other as equals and experience the love you get from communitas.