Community is Key
I don’t think I’m betraying anyone’s trust when saying this, but there are many people in my life who have told me they are lonely. And this is the case for friends both inside and outside the church — married and single. Depression and loneliness can weave together a cocoon of isolation and this seems to be prevalent today. I believe we must be honest with ourselves and recognize that the world we live in is devoid of true community.
I recently talked to a friend who said the church should be a place where you look around the room and you can instantly see two people that you could call if you had a crisis in the middle of the night. Is that the case when you look around on Sunday mornings? I hope so, but that’s probably not the case for everyone.
Community requires relationships and relationships take a long time. It means a regular engagement with those whom we want to be formed by and those whose presence means the most to us, but it requires us too — every bit of us.
Jesus gathered 12 and poured Himself into that ragtag group of disciples. There were many more who followed Him however, it was only 12 that He gave himself to fully. I hope you are blessed to be part of a community and they are knowingly blessed to have you. The church has been like that in the past and I think it can be reclaimed, although it takes each of us to make it the kind of community we all want to belong to.
If you long for community, my invitation is to name that, first and foremost. Tell someone that this part of your life is lacking and that you seek something deeper in your relationships. Loneliness needs to be named before moving forward. And then, join us in a small or big way. Find a way to serve, to share your gifts with us and, in turn, let us share the great gift of this community with you.
