Community

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Acts 2:46, 47a (NIV)

Imagine it is midnight. Five kids are buzzing up and down steps, asking for more candy. Sitting around a dining room table, several adults go from laughing, to nearly crying and back to laughing again. A two-year-old tries to take another piece of chocolate off the table and is probably more successful than the adults realize. They also don't realize the game they started playing several hours before sits unfinished in front of them, the conversation too interesting to be interrupted. Plates of Chex mix are spilled on the living room floor, where a children's movie is playing, but the kids are too busy playing themselves to notice. At this very moment, people are sharing their home, their hearts and their lives with each other. Community is being established. People are becoming comfortable with another. They are revealing situations, trials and heartaches they have never spoken of to others before. They are also relaying good things that have come out of these problems. They are sharing their experiences and their triumphs. The "aha!" moments are coming. "I have been there, too," is said a lot. People are connecting, feeling less alone with their problems, knowing that someone else has been in the same boat or realizing that someone else is in the same boat. This is community.

I imagine the verses above describing similar events. A shared faith, a shared life played out as the early Christians sought comfort with each other as the new faith blossomed around them. They ate together, prayed together and learned together. They talked about the challenges that lied ahead for them all. Where would this new faith lead them? To ultimate comfort? To happiness? To death? They knew not where the road was heading, but they had each other. They had a fellowship of believers, a church if you will, and they knew that God's presence was with them. It was a 'best of times' scenario.

I like to think of these verses whenever I am in the midst of a group of believers. I know it is a bit idealistic, and I am sure there were times of discord and strife. But to know that true community, true sharing, can be achieved here on earth to help us through the struggles of life, encourages me. To know that there are friends I can call and talk to and know they understand brings me peace of mind. Sometimes just knowing is enough to help me through. We have a great example of people coming together to help each other through the daily ups and downs, and we need to better emulate that. They weren't too busy to help one another out. They had time to sit down and talk, to share a meal, to relate to others. Every time our small group comes together like we did a few weeks ago, I can't wait for the next time. The scenario at the beginning happened only two weeks ago, and yet I find myself longing for the next time we can all get together and share. My prayer is that you also have time for community, whether it is with a group of friends or establishing it with in your own family. Take time to do as the early Christians did, breaking bread with one another, listening and sharing as you grow closer in Christ.

God, in our busy, individualistic lives, help us to establish community with each other. Assist us in finding friends that we can truly share our lives with as we walk the road of life. Thank you for allowing humans to communicate and build relationships with each other. Give us the courage to do so. Amen.

Nikki Hamsher