community
I’m about halfway through Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution. Amazing so far. This is what church is to me, I just haven’t been able to really put words to it in a way that he does.
I’ve really connected with the importance of community that he stresses throughout the book, and was struck by a situation we are going through at work right now.
A few months back, a family left. We actually asked a part of the family if they wanted to stay, and it just didn’t happen. It definitely should have, but it didn’t. In the last few days, this part of the family has been calling and writing emails to us, and even stopped by today. Both my boss and I are trying to figure out why we’re ok with it all, and why it is so good to see her even though the situation upon which the family left was a hard one.
I think it ultimately boils down to community. Claiborne says, “It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle.”
That’s what it is. I am so fortunate to be at a placement site where I really get a chance to know these families. I was worried when I first came that I wouldn’t have enough to do, but I’ve found plenty of course. God has placed some amazing people in my life, and I am privileged to call some of them friends. I wouldn’t trade the interactions for anything. The Bible Studies, the long car rides taking people to appointments, hanging out in my office and just inviting people to sit and chat. Hearing what they have to say about church, about community, about struggles and about each other, I will walk away changed.
So it isn’t strange to be embracing someone who left. It is just part of community. It is about loving each other even when things don’t go well. And they don’t always go well. They didn’t always go well for Jesus so we can’t expect they will always go well for us. But this is what ministry is all about. Relationships. Community. Loving one another no matter what.
I’ve really connected with the importance of community that he stresses throughout the book, and was struck by a situation we are going through at work right now.
A few months back, a family left. We actually asked a part of the family if they wanted to stay, and it just didn’t happen. It definitely should have, but it didn’t. In the last few days, this part of the family has been calling and writing emails to us, and even stopped by today. Both my boss and I are trying to figure out why we’re ok with it all, and why it is so good to see her even though the situation upon which the family left was a hard one.
I think it ultimately boils down to community. Claiborne says, “It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle.”
That’s what it is. I am so fortunate to be at a placement site where I really get a chance to know these families. I was worried when I first came that I wouldn’t have enough to do, but I’ve found plenty of course. God has placed some amazing people in my life, and I am privileged to call some of them friends. I wouldn’t trade the interactions for anything. The Bible Studies, the long car rides taking people to appointments, hanging out in my office and just inviting people to sit and chat. Hearing what they have to say about church, about community, about struggles and about each other, I will walk away changed.
So it isn’t strange to be embracing someone who left. It is just part of community. It is about loving each other even when things don’t go well. And they don’t always go well. They didn’t always go well for Jesus so we can’t expect they will always go well for us. But this is what ministry is all about. Relationships. Community. Loving one another no matter what.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 11:13 PM.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
1 Comments:
Well put.
Tracy
By
Unknown, at
3:49 PM
Post a Comment