With another school year ending, all of the graduations happening and Father’s Day just days away I’ve been thinking a lot about the people around us. My partner is much more social than I am and I can’t fathom how he manages to sustain all the relationships that he does and still stay sane. But at the same time I also know that we need other people in our lives and that life works better when it’s done in community. There were so many interesting and important things that Jesus did both in His lifetime and specifically during His years of ministry on Earth, and one of the things that He came back to time and again is the importance of community and being in relationship with each other. Matthew 22:36-40 says:
“”Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.””
If you remember, there were 10 Commandments issued to Moses by God back in the beginning of the Bible after the Israelites were freed from Egypt and before they got to the Promised Land. While it’s good to know what they are, Greg Laurie sums it up well: “Interestingly, the Ten Commandments are divided into two sections. The first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God, while the final six deal with our relationship with others.”
The bottom line is that community is really important to God. Of course the 10 Commandments and Jesus are going to focus on the importance of being in (healthy) relationship with God, because that’s where we should start or where our heart should be, but to have 6 out of 10 Commandments be about community and for Jesus to say that it’s equally important to love your neighbors, I think it’s time for the excuses to be over and for us to work with God to find where the balance is for us to be part of contributing to and benefitting from community while still having enough alone time to not be overwhelmed or unable to function. What are some communities that you’re part of and what are some healthy ways that you balance your need for community with your need for quiet alone time?
Laura Dickey 