WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Reconnecting Authenticity with Community

By Father Yohanes Akoit

Charles Taylor, in his book, The Ethics of Authenticity (1991), explains how modern individualism emerged in our society, became part of our daily life, and shaped our personal character. He notes that, at the beginning, individualism appeared only as a symptom within modern culture. However, once the idea took root, it quickly grew like a mushroom and soon developed into a dominant social character. This rapid growth occurred because the idea carried a positive appeal: each person desires freedom, possesses dignity, and has the right to live independently. Building on this point, we can see how this desire for personal freedom appears in everyday life. For example, there is a tendency to say, “I am the one who chooses and decides my own path of life. I will wear any dress based on my interest and travel to places I like.” These simple expressions show how personal choice becomes central in daily life, and many other personal interests can also illustrate this growing emphasis on individual decision.

The examples above are actually positive because they express human rights and dignity. However, the problem arises when the saying “I decide my own life” shifts into “I alone determine what is valuable and good for my life.” At this point, we can see how the transition slowly becomes negative. The self-center begins to function as the measure for everything, and this leads to a situation of self‑isolation. We start to live a secluded life that separates us from others. We say; this is my life. I will focus on my career and future. I am responsible for my future. I determine for myself who I am and what is valuable. Everything becomes personal and private. The main law I follow is this: “I feel it; therefore, it is meaningful and necessary.” This subjective feeling then becomes the way I evaluate what is objective and true.

As this self‑centered way of living grows, it naturally leads to a deeper form of separation from others. This brings us to the problem called social atomization. The person increasingly becomes like an atom. He or she is separated from other people and the community. As this separation deepens, people begin to forget about tradition and culture. And it affects family life as well. We may notice that although we live as a family under the same roof, changes have occurred. Each person becomes absorbed in his or her own phone and personal world; caring for elderly parents may be seen as a personal burden rather than a family responsibility. This pattern also appears in the church: we go to the church that suits us; we want the liturgy the way we like it; and we don’t have time for parish activities. These symptoms appear in many other aspects of life. And responding to this phenomenon, Taylor suggests that we should not destroy the individualistic aspect, but to reconnect it with our community; family life, the church, and society.

Based on the illustration above, we may say that long before Charles Taylor diagnosed the problem of social atomization, Jesus was already aware of it. When He said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them,” (Matthew 18:15-20). He showed that prayer is meant to unite people. Praying together is an act of consensus, and therefore it strengthens our social aspect. So, the more we pray together, the more we experience the communal dimension of life. It happened because community prayer helps us share our time and presence with one another. It encourages us to make sacrifices for personal interests, live in harmony and build tolerance among us. Therefore, we ask God to help us grow, not in isolation, but within the life of the church, the family, and society.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.