com·mu·ni·ty

/kəˈmyo͞onədē/ noun

1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

The day we stop seeking community is the day God’s love becomes stifled. We were created to be in community with one another. We belong to one another through and because of Jesus Christ. Noah’s Ark was a community. Two by two, remember? Noah didn’t bring all bears or cows on the ark. Jesus didn’t pick his disciples because they all thought and felt the same way.

The disciples were a community of people with different passions, loves, interests, but one common bond. God.

Genesis isn’t just the creation story. Genesis is the Story of Community. The words “gather together” and “of every kind” are said a few times in Genesis. God says in Genesis 1:18 “It is not good that man should be alone”. The earth is a community of communities. We humans like to separate, divide, and categorize ourselves into groups. Although groups are a necessary part of our lives, community is much more important. Finding community, or kinship, is what we are called to do, but can sometimes seem daunting.

Many of us have been convinced that we can find community on social media. While it is easy to find “groups” in the Insta-Face-Twit-Snap world, it is not where true community is found. It is my prayer that we don’t miss out on the living, breathing, face to face relationships we are meant to have. Be in a community of humans that celebrates together and grieves together, that grows together and struggles together. God created us in God’s image and God’s image is a community called the Trinity. We were created to love each other and to expand God’s love throughout God’s creation. God’s community.

“…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:25-27