Importance of Community
As many of you know I am on a mission trip to Westernport, MD serving with 16 other people providing a Vacation Bible school and nightly topical seminars for adults. On Saturday when we arrived at our hotel, there were a large number of people of an obviously different culture standing, talking and playing in the parking lot. I walked over to strike up a discussion. I found out that the people were from India and they were in Westernport for a “village picnic”. A young man told me that all of the people at the hotel were raised in a particular village in India. Then they scattered to the United States and Canada to get jobs and raise their families. Once each year they gather somewhere in the United States to get together and reconnect. There was a large tent set up in a grassy area where I assume they had a large meal together.
These people decided that it was important enough to spend money and time to stay connected in a “community”; even though they lived far away. God desires the same for His people. In the Old Testament God asked His people to gather around the tabernacle. The feasts were designed, in part, to bring people together in the worship of God. In the New Testament this importance continued with the institution of the church. God has always desired for His people to be very “intentional” about gathering together in community. There are many exhortations to gather together and most often it doesn’t cost us hundreds or thousands of dollars to do so. Unfortunately, many followers of Jesus have diminished the importance of this and that is to our loss.
I was reminded of the importance of community here in Westernport. I hope that you will take a few minutes and evaluate the importance of community in your life. Perhaps you need to make a determined effort to get involved with fellow followers of Jesus. Perhaps you need to pick up the phone and call someone to reconnect. The choice is yours but I can assure you that God wants you to be in community.