Symbols are powerful tools in building community because they quickly remind us of our values, identity, and commitment in a community. Using symbols is a way to make communities stronger. Symbols represent a set of ideas and values, which is to say, they often represent many things at once. They can conveniently stand in for many words.
Anything can be a symbol. This includes the flame symbolism in the Unitarian Universalist tradition and the purifying water in Hindu tradition. In consciousness traditions like Taoism and Buddhism, symbols tend to be more abstract. For example, the yin and yang represent in part how things that may appear opposite are in fact complementary. In theistic traditions, such as Christianity and Sikhism, the symbols are often taken from iconic stories. The Christian cross comes from the story of Jesus’s crucifixion. The Sikh crossed swords refer to a turn away from pacifism to defense of the vulnerable. In any tradition, there will be many symbols for different times and places. Simply changing a robe color or donning a head covering can symbolize a special time.
A community symbol is far more than a pictorial representation of a single word, idea, or memory. In fact, community symbols work best when they’re not too literal. Literal symbols leave less interpretive room to represent numerous and evolving ideas. For example, the circular Peace Corps logo is a symbol for the worldwide Peace Corps community, both current and past. It includes a dove within an American flag. As far as I know, there are no actual doves on American flags in Peace Corps service. Note that the symbol doesn’t include a depiction of an American digging a well or teaching in a classroom. If it did, the added literalism would weaken the symbol’s power.
Or consider the official Marine Corps emblem, which depicts an eagle sitting atop a globe with an anchor through it. Obviously it’s nonliteral. It’s also a symbol tattooed on the arms of many Marines. If you were to ask many Peace Corps volunteers or Marines what their symbol means to them, you would get somewhat different answers from each group. But no matter the diversity of answers, in both cases the symbols represent their communities and a set of values.
Communities often use many symbols. In fact, this is almost inevitable. Some symbols will naturally emerge. Others can be thoughtout and chosen. Symbols usually reference a story, place, or tool that’s important to the community’s history. What’s most important is that you recognize the power of symbols and how much members appreciate them. They can be potent tools to remind all who you are, what you do, and why you matter. Ask yourself, what are the symbols your community uses? If you have none, what elements should your community’s symbol include?
A token is a kind of symbol given to a person as a keepsake to remember an idea, event, or set of values. It’s often a reminder of accomplishment, belonging, and commitment. People love tokens. They often have powerful meaning when leaders or peers present them in rituals.
You likely have tokens (formal or informal) from your own community experiences. Sometimes we get our own tokens: souvenirs are a kind of self-gotten token. But tokens are much more meaningful when others give them to us. The importance of the token’s presenter will imprint on the token’s value. For example, if Nelson Mandela were to give me a single South African rand as a token of thanks, that coin would be more meaningful to me than dozens of more obviously valuable thank-you gifts.
After I completed my Peace Corps training in Zambia, a State Department officer officially swore us in at a ceremony in front of our instructors and the Peace Corps country staff. During the ceremony, he fastened a Peace Corps logo pin on our lapels. This ceremony was a rite of passage recognizing our journey from trainees to Peace Corps volunteers. The space was made sacred by inviting special people into it and asking us to dress nicely (at least by Peace Corps standards!).
Each pin became a token for us to keep as a reminder of our initiation, accomplishments, commitments, and belonging in the community. They weren’t expensive: any one of us could have purchased one hundred pins before the ceremony. But the pins we were given became special.
My friend Joel is a search and rescue dog handler. He tells me that when a team makes a real difference for some military or government group, a “challenge coin” from that group is presented as a gift. The coins are custom-made for the group and typically include the unit’s insignia. They obviously have little or no exchange value. But they mean a lot to the recipients because they’re given with intention and meaning. They represent appreciation and respect.
In mythical stories of heroes growing to maturation and power, useful tokens are often items given by wise elders to help the hero on his or her journey. The token’s value is not apparent when it’s received. During the journey, its value to help or even save the hero is revealed. Symbolic tokens in our own lives can serve a similar purpose. They can represent wisdom, support, or teachings generously given to us by elders or peers to help us on our journeys. They remain as reminders that others are rooting for us and want to be supportive in our lives.
The only limit to the number and types of tokens is your imagination. But at some point, just as with all things, if there are too many, they lose their value. If there are too few, then they don’t offer the power that they can. You’ll have to choose when and what you can offer as tokens to help others remember their belonging, accomplishments, and commitments. Anything can be a token. Pins, scarves, medals, flags, and certificates are commonly used. Even a small rock can make a perfectly good token if presented in a sacred way. The tokens for your community should represent your values.
Many tokens remain unseen until we identify them. Tokens are like rituals in that they can be created and appreciated without becoming identified. Items that start out simply as useful and practical can in time become infused with meaning. For example, when my grandmother could no longer host Thanksgiving gatherings, she passed on the special platters and serving dishes to my father and mother. These became tokens that represented hosting, family, connection, welcome, and some authority, even though they started as items that presented food. Leaders can notice everyday objects that can be imbued with powerful meaning, and those items can be passed on as tokens. It can be a simple matter of replacing the item with a new one to let the old live on as a symbol. A pen used for signing, a glass used to toast, or a hat worn on a special adventure can all be passed on and replaced.
Tokens can be very powerful when we give them to others. Remember that the giver can imbue value into the token. If this is done honestly and intentionally, the token’s material value may not matter at all. To use the power of tokens we can use a few simple principles.
Intention: Tell the receiver why you’re giving it to her.
Symbolism: Tell her what it represents to you.
Connect to the future: Tell her how you hope it will support, change, or serve her.
Stephanie, I’m giving you these candleholders. We’ve used them for over one hundred dinners here. At least a thousand people have gathered around these at some point, making friendships. I’m giving them to you because I know that you’ll use them. I know that you bring people together in a welcoming space and invite them to share themselves. These holders represent hospitality, creating a prepared space for others to gather. I hope that they make your space more cheerful and remind you that your efforts are important even if you don’t see the results.