Tuesday, February 24th

I want to pick up where we left yesterday and it go back to my original observations; we don’t want community, we are fearful of community and have been hurt by community. Yet Jesus is saying it is an essential part of faith.

Which means we need to name what comes against community or what are the challenges of community?

Here are a few challenges to community, that if we don’t name or tend to, we will always struggle to grow in our faith journey with community. First of all, especially for the Western world, we are radically independent. We want and like our independence, we rarely want to be dependent on anyone. We can figure it out, do it on our own. We have a transient mindset versus a tribal mindset.

Which also leads to us being incredibly lonely. It is amazing to see and hear the stats of being the most connected people ever, yet the loneliness epidemic is ravaging our society.
Another challenge to community is the twisting reality of busyness and hurry. Our schedules are filled to the brim; we don’t have margin for much more. Besides the fact, we are racing from one thing to the next, not being able to slow down enough to even enjoy the presence we are in.

Let’s just name the obvious challenge to community and relationships. We’ve been hurt and why would we try that again. Like a child who touches a hot stove, why would they put their hand back on there. We have the same belief with relationships or at least guarding ourselves in “better” ways.

The last one I want to bring our attention to is the idealism we have with community. We have this ideal of what we think community is and when it doesn’t happen the way we think it should, we abandon it.

Notice what German pastor and theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer said in his iconic book, Life Together. “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

Another powerful statement, especially coming from one who challenged the Nazi regime, which was trying to create a distorted view of community. But when we strive to only live in the dream of community, we will destroy it, but when we pursue the love of others, no matter what we face, we create community.

Yes, we need to name the challenges that come against community because then we have a choice of what are we to do with them? What are we to do with sitting in the tension of community and Jesus’ statement, we can’t follow him alone and be a person of love?
What challenges do you see as to why you are hesitant to step into deeper community?

Can you take step of growth and confess to God what stands in your way? Asking him to open your eyes to new possibilities of community?