We live in a world where everything is fighting for our attention. Our phones go off day and night with notifications, social media is buzzing nonstop, games are telling us it’s time to play again. Not only that, we’re constantly looking to satisfy a need for connection. Sure, some of those notifications are important, like texts from loved ones or updates about life, but if we’re really being honest, most of the notifications we get do not matter. As much as I want to know that the latest game of Connections is ready for me to play at 12:00am sharp, I don’t really need to know that.
We desire connection (and I don’t mean the NYT game). We desire to be known, seen, and welcomed. We long for true community. One thing I have learned over the last few years is the importance of community; being in and creating spaces that invite true connection, intentional interaction, and genuine relationships.
Why do we have this need for community? Well, life can be tough. There are so many things that happen in the day-to-day that are life-giving and exciting and that are worth sharing and celebrating, but we all experience hard moments. Maybe it’s a hard workday, a hard moment in a relationship, or the loss of someone dear to you. Life is filled with tough moments that we are not meant to carry or walk through alone.
In the moment, it can feel like everything is falling apart, but once we get through it, it’s easier to see the brighter side that we did not quite see in the moment. When I think back on various tough moments of my life, I can’t help but realize that now, I don’t fully focus on the actual situation that brought me down. What does stand out when looking back, are the people that God placed in my life. Instead of focusing on the pain, I find myself identifying and focusing on the people who surrounded me in those moments. I focus on the people who poured into me, who walked with me, who welcomed me in and pointed me every step of the way towards Christ when I wanted nothing else but to hide away and not face the troubles ahead. I think about the true care I was shown, even when I wasn’t willing to fully take it in at that moment because of my stubbornness.
A few months ago, I was amid the busiest season I’ve ever had. I was traveling more for work, handling more tasks, and training/leading more people than ever before. To top it all off, I broke my wrist the week before we trained all our tour staff. Not fun. I am the type of person who loves to help others but hates to ask for help for myself, but in this season I desperately needed help. All of this took a toll on me mentally and emotionally. Thankfully, my community recognized I needed help before I even realized. My community picked me up whenever I fell. My community showed me love and grace even when I wasn’t willing to show it to myself whenever I’d make a mistake. My community walked with me every step of the way and showed me the love of Christ through their actions.
This type of care is something that cannot be ever fulfilled by doing life without community. It cannot be fulfilled by playing games all the time. It cannot be fulfilled by looking at our phones 24/7. This type of care is fulfilled by the love of Christ shown by those around us, through the genuine community that is found in Christ’s people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book, Life Together, when speaking on community:
“The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it.”
We are not only called to do life together, we were also made for it. We see in the creation account in Genesis 2 that “It is not good for the man to be alone.” We aren’t made to face things alone. We are made to live in community.
We have always been wired for this type of connection. It’s in these intimate spaces in which we get to experience the true community found in being a Christ follower. In these spaces, we are fully known and loved, both by God and by those around us. There is a level of safety and trust that cannot be matched by the world, no matter how hard the world tries to make its way in.
Our part to play isn’t hard, but it can make a world of difference. It’s easy to pass on by and share general pleasantries. It’s easy to quickly wave and keep on going. What would it look like for you to take a moment this week to truly be present with someone? Maybe it’s a friend, a co-worker, or the barista who makes your coffee. What would it look like for you to create an intentional space in which you show genuine hospitality towards someone else? Ask God to make opportunities for connection in your life so apparent that they can’t be ignored. Sometimes showing Jesus to someone around you is as simple as starting a conversation.
Avery Oldfield
Avery is a part of our Christ’s Church family and has served in our student ministry for many years. He works as an Event Experience Professional at Christ in Youth, one of our Impact Partners. In this role, Avery oversees the operations side of SuperStart, CIY’s weekend event for preteens.
