Community Is Our HeartbeatParaugs

Belonging to One Another

There’s an interesting thought nestled into the second account of Creation in Genesis 2. In the big-picture perspective of Creation in Genesis 1, the author puts a regular refrain into the daily record of what God has done. We’re told that “God saw that it was good”. The land mass was good; the new habitats and ecosystems were good; the constellations, the sun and the moon were good; the birds, the fish and the animals were all declared good; then finally to sum it up we’re told that “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good”.(Gen 1.31 NIV)

So it should grab our attention when the author mentions the one ‘not-good’ thing in Creation. We read in Genesis 2 that it’s not good for humans to be alone. Everything else was good, fitting, ready for service and able to fulfill its purpose. But Creation was incomplete because Adam was living as an isolated individual without human connection. Creation wasn’t finished until this absence of community was addressed. And what a picture we get painted for us in Genesis 2. The all-powerful Voice of Genesis 1 is exchanged for a very different scene. Now we see God the Sculptor pouring His focus and energy into crafting a masterpiece. These first humans who are created in community bear the fingerprints of the eternal and infinite triune God. The God who is community.

Of course at first glance, to a modern reader, it can come across as a misogynistic devaluing of women - comparing them to animals. But to the original audience, the point was the exact opposite. In the Ancient Near East women were often seen as a possession of men, viewed as beings of lesser worth in the cosmic order of things. But in Genesis 2, the woman is designed individually with the same degree of care and attention as the man, and she is crafted from his rib. That was important back then because it explains that she’s of the same substance as the man. So both the man and woman together are full of worth and purpose - a purpose that can’t be fulfilled without one another. We were designed to belong, to live in genuine community.

God Takes Community Seriously

So much of the rest of the Bible doesn’t make much sense if we miss how devoted God is to building and protecting this concept of community. The Ten Commandments and the rest of Israel’s laws are all about building a community that is protected from the dangers of selfish individuals taking advantage of others. Some of God’s harshest responses are to punish individuals whose behaviour is threatening to corrupt the faith and worship of the whole community. A huge chunk of what the prophets say to the nation of Israel (and specifically their leaders) is directed at the abuses of power that have been allowed to corrupt the community. And of course Jesus himself, and the early Church, both model a faith that is built on doing life in community.

God created us for community, He saved us into community, and He calls us to redeem the communities that we are a part of. There’s a simple truth - if I want to be a part of whatever God is doing in this world then I need to find a community to truly belong to. But it’s a challenge in this age of hyper-consumerism. It’s easy to measure relationships like transactions, to fall into the trap of feeling like the benefits of being in community aren’t worth what it costs.

We have an enemy who delights in isolating us. Because on our own we’re vulnerable. We’re vulnerable to pride and to shame, to doubt and to legalism, to selfishness. But God designed us to grow in the middle of the messiness and awkwardness of sharing life with other flawed humans. We cannot discover the fullness of God’s power and presence if we choose to isolate ourselves. Whenever God is doing something fresh in our hearts, it always draws us towards others, not away.

Reflection Questions:

1. How much do I believe that my purpose can only be fulfilled in community?
2. Do I have a soft heart that is looking for new ways to belong? If not, why?
3. Is there anything that I need healing from, so I can see community the way God does?