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We are Community

"Not what a man is in himself as a Christian, his spirituality and piety, constitutes the basis of our community. What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ.  Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us."  
-  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "Life Together"

I'm convinced that every human being longs for authentic community.  I know I love the community of fellowship in our church family at New Life.  But this is not an automatic thing, and not an easy thing to nurture and maintain.  Why?
It's not automatic because of the nature of our culture.  We live in a fragmented world with many people coming from broken homes and fragmented relationships.  We know people on a acquaintance basis.  Friends are "on-line" with virtual relationships based on "updates" and "posts".   Social media is not a substitute for the longing of real community.
What the bible says is that we were created for community.

Genesis 2:18 (ESV)
18  Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

There is no greater proof that we were made for community than to realize that we were made in the image of God - the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.   The Trinity is mysterious in understanding, but the key is to realize that God exists in a Community.  If God created us in his image, we must realize how much we are meant to live in community with both God and each other.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV) 
9  Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
10  For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
11  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?
12  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

Now here's something to think about.  There is little doubt that living in community means we drag our sinful nature into our relationships.  Trying to live in community doesn't mean we are immune from the pain of trying to live at peace with others.  Face it, we live in a broken world, with broken people - and we are one of them!  The problem is that people face living in community in unrealistic ways.  They want marriages that never experience the ups and downs of their own selfishness.  They want church communities to never disappoint.  The reality is there are no perfect marriages, no perfect church communities, no perfect relationships in general.  The basis for real community lies in our relationship with God - it's not based on performance, it's based on love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, repentance, etc...

When God created the man the woman he gave them to each other... period.  He didn't do it so that the one would fulfill the other, or meet their need, or sacrifice for.  All of those are good, but they are based on the self-fulfilling needs we perceive.  God gave them to each other to "complement" - a "helper", like the Holy Spirit is described in the gospel.  Jesus said, John 14:16 (ESV) 
16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

This "helper" is literally "One called alongside"... a companion on a journey.
We don't live in community because we "get something", not even primarily because we "give something"; but rather because in community God works in us to accomplish something in us, and around us, and through us that could not be achieved alone.

Community is not something we step into automatically...it is something we build.  
Community is not something we discover...it is something that is forged through the fire of mutual struggle.
Community is labor...but a labor that leads to a better me, a greater purpose, a more fulfilled life.

I'm happy to be in a community of friends.

Peace

Comments

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Good stuff. Thanks!
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