Community

Community is a vital part of any Christians walk. We are not commanded to go to church but we are called to be in a community, it is that singular act that can stretch, grow and challenge us the most. Community is a word that is thrown around a lot (especially in Christian “communities”) but when it comes to asking the questions what is community, what is it suppose to do and others it can get a little difficult to explain and define.

The American heritage dictionary describes it as “a social group or class having a common interest” and in essence that isn't far of. When you break down the word “community” it breaks down to “common” and “unity” meaning it comes out of unity from a common goal, task, interest, person, etc. so then the question becomes less what is community but more what is unity. we are called to have common unity with people but what does that mean?

Unity at it's simplest is being single minded, the book of Acts uses “in one accord” (Acts 4:24, 5:12, 8:6, 12:20, 18:12, 19:29). The word that is translated as “in one accord” is homothumadon meaning to be “one mind, the same as” and has a idea that we be unified with each other. In Ephesians we are told that because there is one body, one spirit we are to be unified with one another (4:1-13).

But then the question comes up with all the people at church's how are we to be unified with all of them? I don't even like half of them! The answer to that question is that you don't. We aren't called to like people only to love them, and there is a difference between the two. If we like someone we will go out of our way to be with them, we will want to hang out with them but if we love someone we will look at for their best interest, we don't have to like them for that to take place. Now it is easier to like someone you love but you don't have to, I'm sure that Jesus didn't like the Pharisees (being the ones that had Him killed) but He did love them and look out for their best interest, you can see that in His ministry going first to the Jews and the Pharisees first before the gentile.

So the next question would be if we are to be unified then what are we to be unified through? The answer is very churchly but it is also timeless. The answer would Christ, Christ is called the great unifier for this reason, He is the one that we are to unite over. There are people how I really don't like here at school but we are able to hang out and be amicable because we all have the Holy Spirit living and working through us and when we aren't living according to the Spirit and His will then you can tell because our relationships will be hurting. We are told in Ephesians 4:3 that we are preserve that unity that comes from the Spirit.

There is one picture of unity that I heard from one of my teachers that he took from the show survivor, in which there are two teams running a race but the twist is that all team members are tied together with a rope and are have to run this race together. At the beginning of the race both teams were doing well but towards that end there were people who started to trip on both sides and when somebody would trip the team would pick them up and start to encourage them, saying things like “you can do this, we are almost there”. Then coming into the finish the team that was in 2^nd was gaining on the team in 1^st just as they were crossing the finish line. Most people would look at that and say it true unity, everyone working together to achieve a common goal. The only problem with this is that the race was an immunity race so when it came time for the losing team to vote someone off the person that they chose the person that held them back. Now most people would have held that up as unity but in reality it was an external unity that was selfish in nature, but the kind of unity that we are called into is an internal unity. We are called to to be tied not to each other but all of us are called to be tied to Christ and let Him lead us (Ephesians 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ).

Scripture used:

Ephesians 4:1-16 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

"WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."

9(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

NASU