Sept 15th, 2022: The Importance of Community

 

Someone told me many years ago that we spend half of our lives making friends and the other half keeping them. Friendship plays a significant part in our spiritual, physical, and mental health. God created us to be in a community. We have learned a lot about the impact of the absence of community during Covid-19. Easter happened because God wanted to restore our relationships with Him.

Covid-19 has also revealed to us how the lack of human touch and human interaction has damaged our well-being. We were fascinated with Zoom at the beginning of Covid-19 and soon found out it was tiring and unfulfilled. Many of us eventually zoomed out. Isolation has eaten many people up from the inside.

Some of us find it hard to make friends as we get older. Life is busy, and our interests have also become more well-defined. We are more selective in how we allow people to be in the inner circle of our life. Some of us have also become indifferent toward relationships. It will take some time to figure out the many lessons Covid-19 has taught us.

It was refreshing when a young little girl came over to my picnic table a few weeks ago, waved her hands, and said "hi". It gave me some hope. True freedom is an outcome of a loving and caring community.

Romans 15:5-7

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

Proverbs 27:17

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."