MANA - Spiritual Life Center

Observations from an outsider…..

Thinking differently…….

Community Centers abound in the States. And because they do sometimes we forget the way they impact the community. Community Centers do not exist in the same way here in Lithuania and neither does the word “community” mean the same thing here as it does in the States.

Front of the Building

Being a foreigner from the States, my family has been well treated and even treated better than locals seem to treat each other. The opposite seems to be true in my experience of the States. IWe seem to have a tendency to treat those we identify with much better then the foreigner who dares to treat upon our soil.

As I speak to the Lithuanians about this issue and my experience, i am surprised to hear that they expect each other to get it together and take care of ones own self and if you can’t, then tough luck for you. The compassion is felt for ones own self and ones own family and maybe even for friends but beyond that it is a “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality. I have heard it said many times, a saying that is said with a sheepish smile,”A lithuanian is most happy when his neighbors’ house is on fire.” And though you can tell it is not really the way they believe you understand that this saying is so common and has been woven into the fabric of the cultural heritage they live in today.

View from the Back

So in my observation “Community” here means; me, my family and a few select friends. The whole idea that we seem to be able to take for grantid in the states is that you can easily go to a place or meeting where you will find acceptance and belonging. Where people will care for you when you are experiencing the ups and downs of life. Where people from all walks of life can come together with similar interests and bond together like family in just a few weeks. For a culture like this one, that doesn’t reach outside it’s family for connections like that, this community center is unheard of, but very much needed because many people don’t have family and friends to turn to and deparately need a community to belong to. Many are seeking……..

Dr. David Shenk and his wife Grace Shenk recently visited our community center. David is a an enthusiastic supporter of churches in Lithuania. At the community gathering David spoke about how lithuanian churches compare to other churches in the global context. Some of his thoughts are can be seen in the videos below.