Do we really need others? For the past 15 years, I have made the issue of “community” a major issue in my life. The more I’ve taught & studied US history over the years, the more intense comes my belief that without a clear sense of holding together, the country fails.
One of my church members recently shared a wonderful story and anecdote about the value of community:
This morning I was reading a book by Nate Larkin called “Samson and the Pirate Monks”. In it, Nate details his story of a specific sin struggle in his life and the path of healing that got him to where he is today.
In part of what I read today, Nate contrasted the lives of the Biblical characters of Samson and David. Samson was a loner, while David had friends, advisors and family. Both of those men sinned in a profound way, but David was able to recover in large part due to the relationships he had.
In this section of the book, Nate says, “The church, according to the New Testament, is not a loose confederation of individuals. The church is a body—a living, breathing organism whose members are so intimately connected that they can only move together. On any given day, every member of that body needs help, and every member has some help to give.” I love that quote, and think that it hits so close to the heart of Numinous [our church] that I had to share it.
Want to read more about the necessity of community in our lives, both to succeed personally and to achieve civic happiness? Click on these other posts: