“A community is not simply a group of people who live together and love each other. It is a place of resurrection.”- Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche community
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”- Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
As John Ortberg moves on in Chapter 2 of Everybody’s Normal . . . , he notes that in the story of Creation in book of Genesis, Moses emphasized that everything exists through the effortless activity of a powerful God. And it’s all unspeakably delightful.
But then, John states, the song of Creation comes to a screeching halt. Because God looks at the man and declares that he needs a helper. What’s striking about this is that the Fall has yet to occur. So, there’s no sin or disobedience to mar the relationship between God and man. Thus, man exists in a state of perfect intimacy with God.
Yet, in today’s society, we find ourselves becoming increasingly disconnected from each other. Robert Putnam put forth this thesis in his book Bowling Alone. Putnam based his title on the fact that although more people bowl than ever, fewer join leagues. Hence, this reflects a twenty-five-year decline in social capital — a sense of connectedness and community.
At-shirt slogan used by the Volunteer Fire Department in Cold Beach, Oregon, illustrates this point. The slogan read:
“Come to our breakfast; we’ll come to your fire.”
Above all, John stresses, the business of community involves much more than building a successful network of emotional support or avoiding loneliness. In conclusion, John explains:
“To see why community matters so much to God, we have to go far back in time, back before even the first human beings were created, and try to think of what life was like for God before anything existed. . . . Difficult or not, the doctrine of the Trinity turns out to be vitally important because it tells us that God himself has been experiencing community throughout eternity. Community is rooted in the being of God.”
Today’s question: How do you see community as a place of resurrection? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The shyness of deference”