The Gift of Community

I love the story about a group of Americans who were on a bus tour in Rome. Their first stop was a basilica in a piazza which was surrounded by several lanes of relentless Roman traffic. After they were all safely dropped off, the group climbed the steps for a quick tour of the church. After which, they spread out to re-board the bus, which was parked across the street, many of them darting out in front of oncoming traffic. Their frantic guide shouted for the group to stay together, but they seemed to ignore him. Out of desperation, he shouted, “If you cross one by one, they’ll hit you one by one. But if you cross together, they’ll think you will hurt the car!” 

Sticking together has its benefits, doesn’t it?  

In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 4, we read this wisdom:

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help… And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

This is why friendship and community are so important. We all need other people in our lives; people who love us as we are but who will also challenge us to grow; people who will pick us up when we are down; people who will pray for us and with us; people who will give and love and serve alongside us.

Cultivating that friendship and community is not easy. Even a church community can at times be difficult. However, the effort itself is a worthy endeavor. 

There is an old African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Let us pray: We remember Lord that you said, “It is not good for us to be alone.” Grant us the courage and strength and grace we need so that we can give of ourselves and connect deeply with others. And as we give of ourselves, may we notice how much we are receiving. Amen