…Or just a motley crew?

What is a congregation anyway? Webster’s Dictionary states:

1) A: an assembly of persons; especially an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction. B: a religious community usually organized in a particular locality.

I often refer to our growing virtual assembly as the “Congregation,” but according to the definition given above, is that really what we are?

Perhaps the best way to settle this issue is to look around and compare ourselves to other so-called congregations and see what, if anything, we have in common.

1) Clubs/Social Organizations

These groups vary widely and include entities such as fraternities/sororities, car clubs, Boy Scouts, book clubs, and fan clubs just to name a few. Some common markers for these groups are usually a) a unifying interest, and b) local contact. In many cases, the unifying forces that bring these people together do not define them as human beings. A woman reading this month’s hottest best-seller isn’t known throughout her community or workplace as that woman reading that book. The identity and any distinction is usually visible only in the corporate presence of her group. In addition, these groups are often marked by a physical proximity. It’s hard to have a decent car club when you cannot meet somewhere with your pals to show off your classic Mustang’s new paint job.

Given these parameters, does Project Conversion sound like a club or social organization? While there are similarities–especially within the unifying interest section–we still need locality. Let’s look at another type of congregation.

2) Activist/Political Groups

Organizations with highly visible goals, motivations and actions define the activist/political group. Another aspect of this group is that the members often represent their affiliation in any medium available. The mission statement and group philosophy is ingrained in their personality. Think of this congregation as the first group on steroids. Activists/political groups are the catalysts of change in any environment, as they often trigger riots and revolutions but are ill-equipped to govern or sustain the desired results. High energy and dynamism are common attributes of such groups, examples of which include everyone from the Nazis to the artists of the Italian Renaissance.

I started Project Conversion with one goal in mind: shocking the world toward religious peace. The measures I’ve taken are a bit extreme. Not everyone agrees with my tactics and my family has much to endure, however like many groups in this category, my outlook is that the end justifies the means.

Our group fits some of these criteria, however we are different because I am the only one (that I know of) out of the group going to the highest extreme. While many of you are changing your own worlds through tolerance and dialogue, we are not a recognizably unified, high energy front as seen in the activist/political category.

Maybe if we had t-shirts…

Religious/Spiritual Communities

Okay, surely this is us right? I mean, Project Conversion has the religious stuff cornered. One religion a month for the year makes us a sure shot. But wait a minute. What makes a religious community? The primary marker here is a common spiritual philosophy/belief. These groups often follow a statement of faith required to bear the title of that particular religion. While no religion is entirely monolithic, there are always reliable threads. If you’re a Christian, chances are you’ve believe in Jesus as either the literal son of God or a super prophet. If you’re a Hindu, well…you get the point.

Because of this unified spirituality, I cannot say that our Congregation is a religious/spiritual one. Our members come from many walks of life. We have Muslims, Christians, Unitarian Universalists, Pagans, Atheists, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Agnostics, and a few rogues like myself. None of us think alike spiritually, and yet we somehow get along just fine. How is this possible when we live in a world where religious/philosophical/spiritual conflict often sparks our most devastating tragedies?

Because we are a City.

A city is a group of diverse people from various walks of life who come together with one unifying goal: to live in peace. It’s that simple and sometimes, that difficult, but it happens. Cities define our species. We put aside our differences and unite for common protection from a harsh, cold world. Sure, some of our municipalities are marked by high crime, dilapidated slums, and nowhere to get a decent pizza, but we see this as a fair trade for the alternative.

Each of us hail from different backgrounds, but we come to Project Conversion united in our effort to learn about our spiritual neighbor and with that knowledge, bring peace. How is it that we are so diverse yet not once has there been an argument on the Facebook page or on the site’s chat? Why is it that I’ve never deleted or withheld a comment on the site for negativity? We have members of our community from all over the world, so here’s my question:

Why can’t the world be more like us? What will it take for people to become our fellow citizens?

We are building this city, this Utopia of free exchange and spiritual insight. No matter where we come from, there is guidance within our Congregation, there is a shoulder to lean on, there is encouragement, there is peace.

Winston Churchill once said that the empires of the future will be of the mind. And so here we are. I set the foundation, but each of you who have joined me has brought their own brick for our city-state on the hill. Our nature is our light. How far our city limits reach is up to you.

I encourage you to bring folks in for a city tour. Ask them to visit the website and get involved in the conversation. This is about getting people to talk again. A good city involves all its citizens. If you are new to this site, welcome. Please contact me or join our Congregation on Facebook. We are always talking about something over there. Trust me, you’ll have a ball.

In the meantime, I think I’ll work on those t-shirts. Logo ideas?