Love and Community: A Challenge To Consider

While we’re on the subject of love, here’s another question to think about: What does it mean to live in community with one another? Last night, my small group reflected on this question, and what it means to live in community with people in all areas of our lives, rather than just in the church.

I reflected a little bit on my missions trip to the community of Aguas Negras in the Dominican Republic, and remembered how much I learned from the way they lived life together and in community with each other. There was a sense that everyone watched out for each other, protected one another, and loved in a very self-less way. They all knew everyone’s names, wandered into each other’s homes as if family, and if there was someone in need, they were quick to respond.

As I recalled this, we talked about how that translates to coming back to Denver. Aguas Negras was a small and close-knit community— Denver is huge, with many neighborhoods and people, and hustle and bustle everywhere. So, how do I take the kind of community I was shown in Aguas Negras, to downtown urban Denver?

One of our group members brought up the idea of simplifying our lives. So the first step is prioritizing— what is complicating our lives? What is making it chaotic? Why is it so hard to have community here? Is there anything we can eliminate in our lives to make this easier?

As humans, and especially as Americans, we like to be busy. I am so guilty of that myself. I always want to be on the go, to be doing something, to always have something that is occupying my day and time. I like to plan in advance, and somehow by the time the next week comes around, I find no breaks in my schedule. How does that always seem to happen? What IF, I slowed down? What IF I looked at the busy-ness of my life, and took out a few of those things that make me run around like my head is being cut off? What if instead of trying to fill up my schedule with meetings and events and get-togethers, I tried just the opposite— to NOT completely fill my schedule?

So here’s the first step:
Prioritize. What are some things I can simplify in my life?

And as I re-prioritize, I’m sure I’ll find a few things that just can’t be taken out of my life for one reason or another. Things that must be done. Obvious ones being— taking time to pay the bills, grocery shopping, exercise, sleep-- things that I NEED to do in my life.

So then, for the things that we can't simplify in our life, how do we allow those things to come together with our effort to live a richer communal life?

As we explored these questions together last night, I felt encouraged to search a little bit deeper for a greater sense of community in all aspects of my life as I’m trying to love more deeply— not just in church, but on the things that happen in my life each day— knowing my bus driver’s name, making conversation with the barista at the coffee shop, showing greater love towards others at work, wanting to know people on a greater level than just the “hi”. Being fearless in learning more about people— about strangers, acquaintances, people who are hard for me to love, and knowing the ones I already love on an even deeper level.

So, for the next week, I’m going to challenge myself to search for community in all places and areas of my life, and plan to journal on what that looks like. I plan on journaling what happens in each part of my day, and my attempt to take each of those parts of my life into deeper community. Parts that are comfortable, uncomfortable, challenging, and surprising.

Will you join me, too?

I hope you will join me in this challenge and share your experiences, as we all try to explore a greater sense of community in our lives. Who's in??