This editorial introduces the eleven papers in the special issue titled: The multiple lenses on the community health system: implications for research and action. Our editorial begins by describing the collaboration that led to the special issue, and then gives an overview of the contents of the special issue, which include two framing papers and nine empirical contributions from researchers in Zambia, Tanzania, Sweden, South Africa, India, and Australia. We conclude by considering how these papers collectively speak to the theme of resilience.