Spiritual Hiccups - Community

In his letter to the congregation at Thessalonica, Paul writes, "Be at  peace among yourselves.  And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.  See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench  the Spirit.  Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil."

Much has been written over the last few decades, in both secular and religious venues, about the loss of community in our day.  Robert Putman's acclaimed bestseller, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community pointed to the fraying of America's social fabric, as well as to some ways to reweave it.  And I think that the Church plays a vital role in both the loss of community as well as any hope for recovering it.

On the loss side, Christianity in America has too often wedded itself to our culture's individualism so that salvation often becomes a purely personal thing about me getting right with Jesus.  As long as I believe in Jesus or have personal relationship with him, I'm good.  At times this faith becomes incredibly self centered with each person responsible for his or her own faith, despite the fact that Jesus says we are to be more focused on God's rule and on the other than on self.

My favorite professor in seminary, Doug Ottati, was fond of saying that God acted in Jesus to create "true communion with God in true community with others."  In Acts 4:32-37, Luke paints a picture of what this would look like.  And I suspect Paul has something similar in mind when he writes the Thessalonians.  No one in such a community is ever "on her own." 

In the run up to Christmas, both church and secular groups engage in a spasm of caring and giving.  Needy families will receive boxes of food and presents for their children.  But if this is an act of community, it rarely lives beyond the Christmas season.  And I wonder if one of the most powerful witnesses the Church could offer the world might not be to demonstrate what true community looked like all year long.

Click to learn more about the Daily Lectionary.