[Deeply Rooted] Community Is KeySample

Strength In Numbers

Countless stories have been told about the fictional Western hero called the Lone Ranger. He’s a vigilante who takes on the world almost completely alone (when he doesn’t have the occasional help of his trusted friend, Tonto). Part of what makes him such a heroic character is his apparent self-sufficiency. But just like there is no real Lone Ranger traveling the open plains of America’s West, there are no real lone ranger Christians making their way through this broken world either. The self-sufficient hero is a myth, and the self-sufficient Christian is a work of fiction too. We aren’t meant to walk alone, and we’re certainly not meant to suffer alone. As Christians, we have been given the gift of community. In times of trial, it’s imperative that we lean into the gift of community, of fellowship, to withstand the storms of this life.

The trees in the famous Redwood Forest give us a wonderful picture of the power of community in our lives. In this forest, there are massive trees, some measuring 300 feet in height and 20 feet in width. They are incredibly large and awe-inspiring. They are also very sturdy. They stand up against powerful storms year after year, but it’s not simply their height or width that makes them strong; it’s their extraordinarily intricate root system. Unlike other trees that have deep, deep roots to keep them stable, redwood tree roots are made immovable by their interconnectivity. All of their roots are intertwined and made powerful by their connection to each other. That’s how Christian communities are meant to be—immovable, interconnected, and intertwined. We are meant to live and grow together as brothers and sisters in Christ, and to hold each other up when the storms of life try to push us down.

It can be hard to accept the idea that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, but when we fully embrace our adoption as children of God, then we can see that we are now part of the family of God. In that family, there are women and men of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and experiences, and God uses them all to help us grow in love, character, and the likeness of Christ.

None of us were designed to be lone ranger Christians. We were created for and to operate in community. Thank God for that wonderful gift that helps us walk through life’s challenges with other Christians’ love and support.

Thought of the Day: Suffering can be isolating, and I may be tempted to try to endure my trials alone. Today, I will embrace the gift of community and look to a brother or sister in Christ for encouragement and support.