Authentic community is a scarce commodity these days. Even in the church, where we are called into fellowship with one another, many people are hesitant to get plugged in. Part of this may be a cultural issue; think of what we glorify as a culture: a big house, nice car or two, financial independence. All of this points to a goal of being the masters of our own destiny, unburdened by others to follow the path of our own choosing. If you have read CS Lewis' The Great Divorce, then you may think of the picture of purgatory or hell that he describes there, where all the inhabitants have everything, materially, the move continually outward of a great grey city, looking for a place where they don't have to be involved with any other person ever.
I am beginning to realize that perhaps being in real community may be one of the better ways to show the world what the love of God is all about. I could talk about lots of theory behind the importance of being in a community, but what has been on my heart recently is the clear realization that Jesus reveals himself to us through his body; which is to say, we see Jesus in one another when we are looking for him.
