The importance of community

Our pastor wrapped up a series on the Myths of Christianity this week. Most of the myths were simple ones like the myth of salvation being done once you've accepted Jesus (accepting the Lord should be the beginning of a transformation and path of service), or the myth of there being multiple paths to salvation (ie the earth mother style of each of us having holiness within us). But this last myth hit home: the myth of isolation.

You cannot fulfill the will of God on earth in a vacuum. You've got to connect with other people. What the traditional church is these days is probably a disappointment to God. A place where we show up once a week, take a seat, and listen to a talking head for an hour, then go home. And the bigger the church, the easier it is to disappear and melt in. He also amplified on the commandment to love one another (John 13:34):

1 John 4:20-21: If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

And this is not just a "in spirit" love either:

1 John 3:16-18 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Acts 11:29-30 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

2 Thessalonians 1:11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

This last verse is kind of interesting, because it calls out a preference for building up the community of Christians, over reaching out to the community of nonbelievers. Its not that we're not supposed to ignore the outside, but that we should make an effort to create a witness in our bond with one another. An outsider that sees a healthy and strong community of people that watch out and care for one another is going to be far more impressed than the stranger that receives a random act of kindness.

This is the style of witness I seek to implement, living a loving and caring life as a member of the christian community, not in isolation.