Community Living

I've been thinking a lot about community lately, since a recent visit to Charlotte, NC. I've always been drawn to community. I was raised in an environment of people that called themselves the "community". I have lived to experience and taste true community and sadly witnessed false community as well.

To me, living in community is like the representation of the biblical, early church described in Acts 2:42. The component I believe we, as humans, trying to be better than we are, often miss is real transparency (for lack of a better word), vulnerability, and humility. So often we try to create groups of believers that get together to see who is wearing the nicest suit of fig leaves. We compare ourselves by who has it most together, who knows the most scripture, or who has sinned the least lately. We continue to try to modify our behavior, instead of letting the Divine Healer modify our hearts.

My point is this: all the behavior modification in the world will never change our hearts (I think Derek Webb says this in "The House Show" - excellent album). Jesus however, will change our hearts. Until we are willing to surrender, submit, and relinguish ALL control to the One who loves us most, only then, can we begin to experience true community with one another.

Then we can let another soul into our mess. Then we can truly testify and boast in our Savior. Then we can unwaveringly trust God's will and direction. Then we can more clearly hear His voice, even when it is a whisper. Then we can gloriously edify, love, sharpen, challenge, and correct one another in the body of Christ. Then we can boldy speak to one another truth in His love. Then we can joyfully serve each other and anticipate the needs of those around us. Then we can unabashedly step out in faith to love our brothers and sisters no matter how different. Then we can see the face of Christ, feel the love of the Father, and know the power of the Holy Spirit.

True community is being willing to love another unconditionally, serve another unselfishly, know another completely with all faults and darkness, and live together in honesty and harmony, all the while pressing on toward the goal of knowing Christ Jesus and the power of His death and resurrection.

I long for this type of relational community here in Atlanta. I grieve it's loss with my move away from Charlotte. I'll strive to find the "kindred" spirits that resonate with this ideal. I'll recklessly abandon myself to Christ in the waiting, and more so in the finding.

From a recent blog by Matt Conner:

In Ephesians, Paul prays for us to understand a few things about God and His Kingdom - one of those being “his vast inheritance in the saints…” That single line made me pause and seemed to flip everything around, suddenly causing miles of other passages to make sense (at least to me). The riches are His people. The inheritance to come can be found in the people being saved around us. Indeed, God’s most prized creation - man and woman - is indeed the treasure that Heaven will be full of.

Thus, you are my treasure, like it or not. And dreaming of “flying away” only keeps me from appreciating the beauty of you.

“The closest thing we have to Jesus on earth is one another.” Randall Goodgame

"To get in touch with the Creator, to truly appreciate Creation is to spend time with humanity." Eugene Peterson