Community is God’s wish
It seems that society is against our building community. Between politics and economy separation, we find that we must continually work at keeping the spirit of community alive. We must be fully aware that others, not in favor of a coherent community are determined to undermine our efforts. Helping one another achieve a safe haven and comfortable living is not something that we should consider as a task. It is what community is based on. It is not really a self-aggrandizing virtue to help others; it is God’s gift to us as we share our successes and failures, good times and times of sorrow, and celebrations and times of fear and trepidation. The manifestation of God’s blessing on community is realized when we give out of love, not pity.
The New Testament clearly demonstrates the love that Jesus has for community. New Testament scholars call this gift koinonia; or as I translate it, fellowship. We cannot truly identify our own individuality until we recognize and support the individuality of others. After all, we are all children of God, which makes us all brothers and sisters, no matter what color our skin is, where we come from, or what religion we practice. When Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is within us, he is speaking of our love and support for one another, in all circumstances.
The author of Kings in the Old Testament writes, “and may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” Jesus clarified this when he said that the second commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. This should be obvious to all of us that God want us to enjoy each other, each other’s opinions, and each other’s cultures. I know that I enjoy learning about other people, where they come from, and I particularly enjoy sharing a meal with them.
When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. Love conquers hate, peace rises triumphant over war, and justice proves more powerful than greed.
May God help us to realize this dream.
Meditating to Heal 