You may have noticed over the last few days that I’ve posted several pieces showcasing the work of other people. There’s a reason for that. I listen to them and what they’ve posted is good.
One of the fallacies of modern middle-class USAmerican life is that we have to be able to do it all on our own. That, especially in areas of faith, is simply not the case. We were never intended to live out our faith by ourselves. Rather, God intends for us to live in community – in proximity to and in relationship with other people. People who agree with us and people who don’t. It is in that place that we experience the blessing of God as we walk in unity (not unanimity) with our neighbors. It’s there that the Lord commands a blessing.
In community and relationship, we learn to extend and receive grace. To forgive and be forgiven. And, while our primary relationship will always be in Christ, that relationship should be expressed in the way we live with others on the earth that we have been given.
From one villager to another, be encouraged: read widely, converse openly, and serve freely.
