Dear Family in Christ,
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13.35).
Living Community is at the heart of church, for us. A huge challenge. Yet there’s something that changes us for the better, when we try and live as community. We were created by God as social creatures. We are meant to have others to relate to. It’s part of what makes us human.
And it was into community that Jesus called people. Not just to be individual followers. But to be people who are shaped and changed by contact and even conflict with those around us. Learning to forgive. To be reconciled. The deeper dimensions of love. Following Him into the community of people. And drawing others into the heart of a group where Jesus is the centre.
When we try and live community, in this way, not only are we challenged and changed as individuals, but we become part of something dynamic. We start to see that church is not simply an organisation, but a living organism. There is beauty to be seen and enjoyed when we work at it. A beauty that draws those seeking our Lord.
Keep at it.
Your brother in Christ,
Jim
