Community

Community!

I have thought a lot about the word “community” over the last several months. 

I asked myself…

-What does it really mean to be a part of a community?

-How does one fit into a community that is already established?

-Will anyone be accepted into the community no matter how one looks, the shade of skin color or their economic status?

Community! 

This word is so simple, yet so complicated.  There are billions of people in the world, yet many feel alone, disconnected and unwanted.  There are “religious” groups of all kinds, yet it is hard to break through and be accepted.  Hundreds can be shopping in the same store, yet most are only interested in their own world.

  

When I first moved away from the city life of St. Louis to attend college in a much smaller town in Alabama, one of the things I noticed right away was the “index finger wave” that most drivers would do as they met you on a two-lane road.  My first encounter of the “index finger wave” was one of confusion.  I wondered why a total stranger would wave at someone they had never met. 

It was in that small town in Alabama that I finally understood that for some, community wasn’t confined to their family, church or neighborhood; rather, it was everyone and everywhere.  For the driver with the “index finger wave,” “community” was being kind to a fellow driver.  No hidden motive, just a simple way to show a caring attitude toward a fellow community member.   Anthony J. D'Angelo said it best, “Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”

Our nation shows its community spirit when a tragedy rocks our nation. The most recent is the mass murders at a bar in Orlando, Florida.  It was a senseless act and one that will scar our entire community forever. 

Community!

-How does a community recover from the loss of life and the hatred from one community towards another? 

-How does one community respond to another community who is bent on destroying them?

The questions are tough to answer.  It will take time to feel safe and to trust others.  The community that was once safe has now become a target for those who hate. 

If there ever is a community that must demonstrate a caring, loving, kind, safe and trusting place to live among is the church community.  It is sad when I hear others says that they do not feel accepted, loved or noticed in their church community.  I heard one person say that if she never attended another church gathering, no one would notice or miss her.  How sad, but, she isn’t alone in her feelings.  The church community must be a place where everyone is important and feels welcomed, needed and appreciated. 

The church community must not be a place just for the high society, a club for the economically successful or a group who wants to keep out certain skin colors.  Rather, it must be a community of the rich, poor, educated, non-educated, doctors, teachers, mail carriers, plumbers, electricians, janitors, poets, carpenters, and whatever God has gifted one to be. 

The community of believers must not be the one who picks and chooses who belongs, rather they live the “open door” philosophy that everyone is important and is welcome.  The church community lives out Ephesians 4:32, “…be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (NLT)

Jesus set out to teach that a Samaritan woman who had gone through five husbands and was now living with a guy could become a part of a community that offered hope and eternal rewards.  If Jesus could open the door to such a person, who are we to deny anyone into the church community?  We cannot!

Community is…

Hebrews 13:1-2 “Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!” (The Message)

John 13:34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” (The Message)

Romans 12:10 “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” (NLT)

May Jesus’ church community be filled with welcoming, loving, tenderhearted, grace-filled people. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian