Someone observed that Jesus, by most modern definitions, led a pretty empty life.
No romance or children, no property or wealth, nothing we’d call a real career. By most standards, His life seems sort of unfulfilling.
One exception: community. Jesus’ human life was filled with authentic friends. They did life together with all its flaws and bumps and twists.
Jesus, who knew eternal community with Father and Spirit, knew we were created in that image. He knew all the other “stuff” we associate with The Good Life – romance, careers, possessions careers – are important-but-not-essential.
He knew we were created for community. It’s who He is, and who we are.
“Follow Me.”
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On the FREEDOM TOUR we acknowledge this reality. We’re a community before we’re a bike ride or a fundraiser.
We also have a reminder.
COMMUNITY IS HARD.
It would be nice if we came together around a worthy cause, sang Kumbayah, and all problems, conflicts, and grumpiness magically disappeared. Doesn’t work like that.
I think we have unrealistic expectations, as if conflict means something’s wrong. So we hide and pretend things are hunky-dory.
Read the gospels. You’ll see jealousy, gossiping, even betrayal. If people spend time together, that stuff happens.
Community is hard, but it mattered enough for Jesus to build His life around it.
Might be a lesson there.
[…] I wrote last time about the challenges of community. Any time you get a bunch of people together, working hard for a mission, things aren’t going to go exactly as planned. […]