Community Part 8

John Luoma reminded all of us that community is not self-serving. I think we all like Bonhoeffer's quote, “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” Sounds a good deal like, "He who wishes to save his life will lose it..."

If not self-serving, then why community? I've suggested that we seek to build community because it is not good for man to be alone. Another reason for community is God - to experience and exalt him together.

Lastly, I'll point out that work helps me understand the importance of community. Again, drawing from marriage, in Genesis 2:18, after saying that it is not good for man to be alone, God declares that he will make a suitable helper for him. Not a lover, not a companion, but a helper.

When the work gets too heavy, we look for others. This applies to all kinds of work, including the work of His Kingdom. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, therefore beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send out (more) workers...

Something I'm learning now is that the work has to be big enough for me to abandon my commitment to self-reliance. What I'm looking at now is too big for me. The days of lying to myself about what is required and what I'm able to do are over.