On Christian Community
It is perhaps of necessity to be apart from a Christian (or religious) community, and yet claim membership within one, to write effectively on what it means. The ten or twenty extended families of Christians living and acting in close cooperation, knowing everything about everyone, looking first to the church for all serious personal relationships, friendships, partnerships, seeking to remain in standing first with those of the same beliefs ahead of any other unconnected contact – this is what I was born into and still value today. My greatest fear, and what should be the greatest fear of any believing Christian, is that I will awake one day to find I have led or am leading a selfish life – a life that benefits only myself. This is a great and worthy fear.
It is easy as well to look to family, sons and daughters, beloved spouse, or parents and think that simply because our absence would cause great pain on these, that we are then accomplished and need not worry over our role in the community at large. These roles are undeniably important, even primary. But they, all these cares, are still foremost ours and not another’s, and thus if all-consuming are also selfish, idolatrous, and will limit our spiritual efficacy.
Community is defined by most as a noun denoting a town, neighborhood, village, or ethnic area of a city. This is not incorrect, but is a restrictive of the term’s full meaning.
"Christianity," is a word itself a bit misused. Or, perhaps it is better to say that it is under-considered. So let us consider the word for a moment. Christian-ity. The ‘ity’ ending in many words holds within it a slight verbal quality, a slight gerund or ‘ing’ actional aspect. Commun-ity. Pol-ity. Unity. Such words carry with them – though we often forget it – an active aspect.
"Community" is particularly this way – being nearly a verbal noun in its truest sense. Community is communal action. The collective trend or goal or, as much more commonly used, the place of or the group of the collectively directed trend or goal, be it through culture, interest, or other parameters. The Greek community, the Polish community, the law enforcement community, the legal community, the intelligence community, and so on. In each of these there are shared goals, and importantly, actions, that help define the community. "Christianity" is best considered in this light.
Christianity is also a collective of goals; a vast group of active collective choices that each moment direct the whole in its movement through time. Christian-ity is then at any given moment the collective result of all of our choices to date. We are at this stage of our Christian-ity, our Christian-ing because we as thinking, believing, praying, failing, succeeding, striving, Christians chose to be right here. We are quite capable – in fact, we are obligated – to choose our direction every day.
It’s worth remembering that Paul was stopped leaving Rome and turned around, and hardly for his personal betterment, but for God’s purpose. So, let us picture that angel on the road, stopping us on the way out of town and asking us – all of us as a collective – where are we going? Are we on the way out of town? Are we going the right way? Would we agree to turn back?
It is easy as well to look to family, sons and daughters, beloved spouse, or parents and think that simply because our absence would cause great pain on these, that we are then accomplished and need not worry over our role in the community at large. These roles are undeniably important, even primary. But they, all these cares, are still foremost ours and not another’s, and thus if all-consuming are also selfish, idolatrous, and will limit our spiritual efficacy.
Community is defined by most as a noun denoting a town, neighborhood, village, or ethnic area of a city. This is not incorrect, but is a restrictive of the term’s full meaning.
"Christianity," is a word itself a bit misused. Or, perhaps it is better to say that it is under-considered. So let us consider the word for a moment. Christian-ity. The ‘ity’ ending in many words holds within it a slight verbal quality, a slight gerund or ‘ing’ actional aspect. Commun-ity. Pol-ity. Unity. Such words carry with them – though we often forget it – an active aspect.
"Community" is particularly this way – being nearly a verbal noun in its truest sense. Community is communal action. The collective trend or goal or, as much more commonly used, the place of or the group of the collectively directed trend or goal, be it through culture, interest, or other parameters. The Greek community, the Polish community, the law enforcement community, the legal community, the intelligence community, and so on. In each of these there are shared goals, and importantly, actions, that help define the community. "Christianity" is best considered in this light.
Christianity is also a collective of goals; a vast group of active collective choices that each moment direct the whole in its movement through time. Christian-ity is then at any given moment the collective result of all of our choices to date. We are at this stage of our Christian-ity, our Christian-ing because we as thinking, believing, praying, failing, succeeding, striving, Christians chose to be right here. We are quite capable – in fact, we are obligated – to choose our direction every day.
It’s worth remembering that Paul was stopped leaving Rome and turned around, and hardly for his personal betterment, but for God’s purpose. So, let us picture that angel on the road, stopping us on the way out of town and asking us – all of us as a collective – where are we going? Are we on the way out of town? Are we going the right way? Would we agree to turn back?
posted by JCH | 10:57 AM
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