Creating Communityنموونە

Lived out community – Gezellig  

The rains poured down, lashing our faces, making our backpacks heavier with every step. The days of walking and few hours of sleep were pressing down on us as we attempted to find our way, and our supplies were dwindling. 

Not the story of an epic adventure, but fourteen-year-old me out walking with friends across fields just a few miles from my house. 

Skip to just a few hours later: a familiar door is opened by the hero I call Mum, who sweeps me up in her arms, not bothered by how mud-spattered and soggy I am. Before I know it, my heavy pack is taken from my back, and I am in clean, dry clothes, relaying tales of my adventures around the dinner table. I am home. 

This is a feeling the Dutch would call gezellig – a vital part of community. 

This word is often translated as ‘cosy’, but not the kind of cosy that comes from simply curling up on the sofa under a blanket with a cup of tea – a cosiness built through human connection. It’s that cup of tea on the sofa with a friend talking through old times. Gezellig describes that feeling which comes from being at home among people we love and trust. It’s the lived-out experience of community. 

We see this in the Bible. When Jesus’ mother Mary’s life was turned upside down by the news that she was to carry the Son of God, we see a beautiful moment when she visits Elizabeth, who is also carrying a child. Together they share joy through months of change (Luke 1:41).

This kind of connection takes time. We need to create space for trust to build and to genuinely care for one another, even if this might lead to difficult conversations. 

If we look at our own church communities, are they a safe place for people to share life together? Do we feel at home when we walk into church? 

Challenge: Pray for opportunities to connect with people at your church, in your workplace, or in your neighbourhood who might be isolated.

Pray: Thank you Lord that you stand with us in the ups and downs of life, and that we can bring all things to you. We pray that we would follow your example and care deeply for one another, demonstrating your love to those around us.