You Need Community More Than You Think!
Each individual arrives in the world alone, but no person can ever grow up alone, unaided by others. From the outset, an infant depends on a family, and many others for survival. God also offers salvation to each person individually, but He quickly ushers that new child of His into a community of faith, for perennial nourishment and consistent, steady growth. It may take a village for some, but for God’s children it takes a local church and all it has to offer for Christ’s redeemed!
Each member of the human family has been made for community, whether people realize this or not; it is so at various stages of one’s development and maturing. The human race is composed of social beings. Yet, community is not to be confused with the conglomeration of many individuals in any place. Quite often, people may feel the loneliest in crowds; true community is quite a different story.
Human completion occurs, partly, through personal interactions, especially in the context of community - family, neighborhood, leisure, workplace, religious institution, and other chosen agencies which promote and provide this essential dimension for its members.
The late Thomas Merton, stressed that “to live in communion, in genuine dialogue with others is absolutely necessary if man is to remain human.” In another of his books, he also reflected, regarding God’s redeemed, that “very few men are sanctified in isolation. Very few become perfect in absolute solitude.” This finds scriptural support in what St. Paul had instructed his Ephesian readers that only “together with all the saints” can a Christian absorb all dimensions of the faith, cf. 3:17-19.
The Creator God exemplifies true community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally interact in manifold ways:
in fashioning the universe, in controlling all things, in planning and providing eternal redemption to fallen human creatures, and in advancing history through superintending all the affairs of His entire creation.
Likewise, what a single person is incapable of achieving alone, quite often may be realized in communion and cooperation with others. As the old adage proclaims, “there is strength in numbers” as several minds, combined with varied strength and additional factors which others contribute, are able to accomplish what a person alone cannot do. Lone rangers produce very little, compared to what may be achieved in cooperation with a few others.
It’s no wonder that a popular song proclaims that “people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” It may indeed be so since that has been the divine intent from the beginning. That’s also why God took the initiative in calling a chosen people, in enabling tribal groups to function, in setting borders for peoples and nations, and promoting smaller segments of individuals for mutual support and joint security, and for the accomplishment of other mighty feats for the benefit of the entire human race. And to build community, all you need to do is show up!
September 16th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Great thoughts again, Dr. Lyra. Lately I have been hearing from people who have decided they dont need the fellowship of organized church (most of them because they have had a bad experience or because they have adopted a lifestyle that probably wouldn’t be embraced), but I am more and more convinced that’s this is exactly when we need the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, people can disappoint us and hurt us, but they are also used by God to instruct and to show His love and care. Cutting ourelves off only leads to lonliness and trying to rely on ourselves for spiritual guidance. God has given us the gift of fellowship. Let’s receive it.