“There is little romanticism to community life.”
-Henri Nouwen
Living in community is hard work.
It takes flexibility. Forgiveness. Conversation. Time. Effort.
And maybe most importantly an understanding of two things ::
1. You and I are different and that is ok.
2. You and I are not perfect and we will screw up and hurt one another…and we can work through it.
What I find is that most people are not ok with these two things.
I want you to be more like me. I want you to believe exactly the way I believe. I want you to see the world exactly the way I see the world. I want you to relate to God exactly the way I relate to God. I want you to be more like me…Or I want to be more like you.
And…
I’m not ok with you screwing up. I say I am…but I’m not really. When you hurt me…I cut you off. When you stab me in the back…I seek revenge. When you lie to me…I refuse to trust you.
When we live like this then true, beautiful, whole community is not possible.
I think we live like this because we have a terrible misconception of what community is meant to be.
We believe that community is supposed to be easy, clean, puppies and fluffy couds.
We believe community is an uninterrupted romance.
I love what Henri Nouwen says, “There is little romanticism to community life.”
That is so true.
I will tell you this…there is a lot of…
hurt…
pain…
dirt…
mess…
lies…
gossip…
judgement…
rough times…
valleys…
arguments…
disagreements…
doubts…
misunderstandings…
perspectives…
…in community.
This is what true community looks like.
It’s a group of people that do life together no matter what circumstance arises.
They do life together in the honeymoon stage and when they’ve been together for 64 years.
In the words of the author of the book of Hebrews, they refuse to give up on one another.
Does this describe your community?
Does this describe what you expect from that community?
Does this describe you?
Is this how people describe the Church?
Are we seen as a group of people that live life together with all of our baggage, junk, disagreements and mess?
Are we seen as a group of people that are defined by our love in the midst of the mess?
Is our love for one another described as a love that always perseveres, always hopes and never fails?
I believe this is what Jesus had in mind when He declared a new way of living life. I believe this is what he had in mind when he sent his disciples out to be the Church. I believe this is the way of Jesus and the perfect portrait of His bride.
It’s the good, the bad and the ugly…
All wrapped into ONE.
in community, you “refuse to give up on one another”.
I.love.that.