Living in Community
Isolation. We were never meant to be alone. Being isolated from the love and relationship of others is hell. For the introvert, it may seem heavenly but only temporarily. Even the extraverted that feel smothered by the company of humanity may enjoy a break. A brief hiatus. Many that have taken on a lifetime of seclusion do so NOT based on personality but because of wounds from the past keeping them in survival mode. They are existing not necessarily living.
Connection. We were made for it. Although it can be the most difficult part of life, it is what we all long for. There was a time when relating to others had no negative ramifications. There was no survival of the fittest. There was no harm, no pain, no standard of self to sabotage relationships. God Himself lives in eternal community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It wasn’t until He created humans that He experienced betrayal, rejection, and separation. None of these are good, but because He desires us, He chose to experience them to connect with us.
Living. It is not just breathing, eating, and getting older. That is existing. Living is vibrancy even if there are valleys of struggle. God is a living Person but that isn’t the same thing as merely being present somewhere. The connection between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a fundamental piece of living. When we are connected to Him, we have life. When separated from Him we have death. We were made in His image. That means we were meant to connect with others besides Him and that separation from humans is a form of death as well. Some would choose this death if it keeps them from more suffering of humanity’s evils. It makes sense. Do you blame them?
Conversation. The Lord is seeking a conversation with us. He does a lot of listening. Can you imagine how many prayers He hears each day? He has more right to speak than anyone else. Yet, hearing us out is one of the things He enjoys. He made us to communicate. That comes from Him because He is that way. He desires for us to know that He is interested in discussion. He is seeking a chat with us and to connect us with others to build relationship through dialogue.
God is on a mission to unify souls with Himself and with others to bring the life back into existence. We are all a part of this drama whether for good or bad. We are either a part of the problem or the solution. Sometimes it is our own bruises that cause us to contribute to the problem and blinds us from the solution. The answer is not isolation even if others have wounded us. Healing can begin with just one conversation. Being in a safe environment where we can spill the beans can bring life back into the mundane. As the City of Refuge, one of our COR Values is to LIVE in community together. Fostering an environment where connection is healing is our concern. Would you like to learn more about how to be involved?