God never
intended for any of us to live the Christian life alone.
A CALL TO
COMMUNITY
The practice
of Christian community, quite simply, makes the gospel a lived reality. It
embodies a specific, personal way of life together in Christ. It strengthens us
to live the life to which we are called; it conveys God’s life and power to the
world at large. And it is necessary.
When we
imagine that we, as Christians and humans, can live in total independence and
self-sufficiency, we are deluding ourselves. God, from the beginning, never
intended that we should go through the world "alone." We simply
cannot experience fully the power and delight of life with God without also being
drawn into life together with our sisters and brothers in Christ. Without
experiencing such life together, we will not discover how wonderful the news
about Jesus really is.
Community is
not to be feared, but welcomed. The risks don't go beyond those it takes to
follow Jesus. The reward is to enter into life as God intended it to be lived
from the beginning. How can we balk at an offer like that?
Howard Macy
is a Professor Emeritus at George Fox University. He is the author of Rhythms
of the Inner Life.
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