Flee the Cities and Experience Authentic Culture

Main and Court St. Woodstock, VA

What do I mean when I use the term "authentic culture?" It's pretty easy to explain. It means friendship, community, and shared life. Many times we experience that kind of community in our churches, although even there, some are so large you know only a fraction of the members who attend. But what about the secular community?

When I lived in Alexandria, I knew my neighbors. We lived on Lisbon Lane for almost thirty years and we had a number of neighborhood picnics and other events that helped us get to know one another. So we can all experience community on a small scale even in highly populated areas.

But after we moved to Woodstock, community and culture took on a much more personal aspect. We got to know more people in the community whom we see on many occasions: at the polls, at the grocery store, at the post office, at the ice cream parlor and restaurants. That rarely happened in Alexandria.