We like
heroes. We like people who single-handedly
made a difference in the world. People
like Amelia Earhart, Martin Luther King Jr, Terry Fox, Rick Hansen and Chris
Hadfield inspire us with their determination and courage.
However,
when we stop and think about it we realize that no one really does anything
“single-handedly”. Someone taught Amelia
Earhart how to fly. Thousands marched
with Martin Luther King Jr. Canadians
from all walks of life contributed millions to help the causes that Terry Fox
and Rick Hansen were promoting. Several
times in his book, Chris Hadfield points out that his success was due to the
support that he received from the Canadian Space Agency, NASA and his family. While it is good to honour “heroes” and to
give “honour where honour is due”, it is also valuable to recognize that
success is usually born from a community of people.
Interestingly,
the value of “community” is seen throughout the course of God’s interaction
with man. God almost always works with
groups of people. From the family of Abraham,
to the Israelite nation, to Jesus choosing the twelve apostles, to the start of
the church, God has shown that while our spiritual life is an “individual”
thing, but it is not “individualistic”. In
other words, you are accountable for your relationship to God, but it is not
only about “you and God”. We are taught,
shaped and saved within the community of God’s people.
Comparing
the church to the human body, Paul says, “The body is a unit, though it is made
up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body… The
eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the
feet, ‘I don’t need you!’… You are the body of Christ and each one of you is a
part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:12; 21; 27).
We need one another.
Granted,
churches are not always perfect. As
Eugene Peterson points out, “Churches are not Victorian parlors where
everything is always picked up and ready for guests. They are messy family rooms…. Things are out
of order, to be sure, but that is what happens to churches when they are lived
in.” However, within that messy family
room you also find joy, laughter, memories and shared lives.
I hope that
you have a strong, personal belief in God, but I also pray that you find a way
to share that within the community of God’s people. The church needs you and, whether you know it
or not, you need the church.
We are
intended to grow together.
“Therefore,
encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Comments