05/16/2020
Community means everything to me.
It would be ignorant of me to think that I could reach the fullness of who God made me to be without a community of believers who know me and notice me. It costs a lot to let people in, but it costs exponentially more not to. In community we are known, loved, encouraged, challenged, exposed, vulnerable, hurt, and forgiven. It is impossible to love our neighbors as ourselves if we don’t surround ourselves in a community where neighbors are present. It is impossible to see the fullness of the mighty work God has done within our hearts, without the pressing that comes from being surrounded by others. How do you know if you have grown in patience, without your patience being tried? How can you know if you believe in the power of forgiveness, without the need to forgive? How can you know you have developed deep self-control, without the pressure to guard your tongue?
In community, we see so many beautiful sides of Jesus. When we join friends at the table as he did, we remember that his sacrifice wasn’t just for us individually, but it was for us collectively. We remember the price that was paid for ourselves and those seated beside us. We remember the gift of family gifted to us, and we so eagerly desire to create more seats at our family's table.