God himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race. ~Thomas Merton
Loneliness and isolation hurt whole communities. ~Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General
Think about your family and your friends. Think about your church, Bible study group, or fellow choir members. Think about your neighborhood, your neighbor, your town. Think about all the arguments, the pettiness, the frustration, the slights and the judgments— big, little and ridiculous—that we have inflicted on each other over time. Now, imagine being able to choose to come to Earth as any creature. Would you choose to come as a human? Would you, by choice, willingly enter a community filled with flawed members who would annoy, hurt, irritate, disappoint and ultimately kill you?
We talk a lot about God becoming one of us, taking on flesh, living a human life and dying a human death. But how often do we recognize that God in Christ chose to come and be annoyed, disappointed and ignored—not just in the three years of his ministry, but for his entire earthly existence—in the same little daily ways that you and I experience? The way of Jesus is not the way of isolation. Jesus’s whole life, including his ministry, death and the revelation of his resurrection, happened within the context of community. To live like Jesus, we must live solidly and actively with great intention within community. We must be involved. We must be joiners. We must attend, volunteer and participate in our common life alongside people who sometimes annoy or frustrate us. If we believe we are truly called to share the Good News of God in Christ, we must begin as Jesus began, repairing the fabric of connectedness in our churches, neighborhoods and homes.
For Reflection
Consider this statement: “Our mission, as followers of Jesus, is to work to eradicate aloneness together.” Do you agree or disagree? Say more.
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