Freshman Reflections From Belmont UniversitySample

Day 27 – Community

Authentic community is a beautiful gift from God that requires commitment, faithfulness and intentionality for vitality and flourishing.

Relationships can be fickle and fleeting without commitment. Genuine community necessitates an increasing measure of commitment as relationships deepen. The more intensely that you know a person, the more ground there is for dissension.

At the surface of friendship, commitment is easy because differences are ignored in the celebration of the shared truth, beauty or vision that gave birth to the friendship. As time progresses, however, it is inevitable that a personality quirk or an annoying habit or a disagreement will stretch the adhesive of the friendship. It is at that crux when commitment is truly tested and genuine community has the opportunity to begin.

Commitment sustains community despite the quirks, annoyances, and differences of the people within it. Two manifestations of such commitment are faithfulness in seasons of adversity (Proverbs 17:17) and intentionality about confrontation (Matthew 18:15). Passive aggressiveness is lethal and distracts from the purpose of community. Loving confrontation is the antidote to resentment and ultimately leads to deeper relationship.

Genuine community is also strengthened by a shared truth, beauty or vision. In 1 John, the shared value is fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ his son. It is that shared worship of the beauty and holiness of God that enables Christian community to thrive.

I have found that my relationships with other Christians are the most life-giving and enriching relationships that I have, because they help me to see God as more glorious, beautiful and holy than I did before. This community dynamic is a gift and institution from God.

As God enjoys a perfect relationship as the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, we can also enjoy a shadow of that relationship in our community with one another. Our earthly communities are extensions of God’s triune community; they are signposts to a heavenly reality.

Authentic community is a beautiful gift, but it is certainly not neat and clean. As we live in a world marred and fractured by sin, our communities will inevitably be imperfect and flawed. Have hope that imperfect relationships will one day be restored, but also be willing to cultivate an environment of authenticity by being committed, humble, faithful and intentional.

KOBY LANGNER
Sophomore, Religious Studies major