Community

Date: 17 May 2008 14:00:51

Last year my Uncle Nick went off on sabbatical and went swanning off to South America for a while. On his return he wrote a reflection on his sabbatical called "Whatever happened to Solentiname? The role of intentional communities in the mission of the church". Finally I got around to reading it. It had been looking at me from the coffee table every time I sat down to watch TV. It's all good stuff, but there was one bit which really struck me...

“In our day there is a renewed interest in some sort of monastic order, whether to restore depth of worship, simplicity of lifestyle or effectiveness in mission. This is anything but new, and speaks of an urgency to recover something that has been lost: namely community. In 'The Millenium Matrix' Rex Miller writes: 'As long as the church remains fragmented, hurried, pressed and driven, it will never be able to see much beyond ever-pressing urgencies. If, however, we restore the priority of relationships and community over projects, agendas, budgets and mission statements, then not only will we survive the transition into a digital world order, but the new environment will provide a potent soil for growth and expression of the body of Christ.'”

Community is a funny thing. When you most don't want it you are stuck in the middle of it and when you really want it you are alone. After leaving Newfrontiers I was desperate for real community; community that made a difference to my life. Community that supported and moved me on. Community that was both challenging and nurturing and yet gave me the space to be me. At that point in time I found my community online, firstly through The Ship of Fools and latterly through blogging. These online communities provided me with the space to ask questions and get answers, to mull things over, to rant, rave, cry and share in the joy of good things. Anyone who says that online communities cannot be powerful for the individual are clearly not part of such a community. The quote above really resonates with me. The need for relationships over agendas is so vital. It is the inter-personal which makes the difference to make life and I fully believe that the church needs to get to grips with this. Is having a large building so vital to community? Well possibly it could provide facilities, but it cannot replace quality relationships. Places like Greenbelt can contribute to this understanding of community, they provide an openness and understanding that is seldom found in churches, and maybe they encourage people to pursue this sense of community on their return home.

The strange thing is that over time my real-life and online communities have started to merge. The boundaries have become a little more blurry as I have met online people in real life. The queer community has sustained me all the way through, and the friendships have extended and endured throughout my wanderings and my journey. Henri Nouwen wrote, ”No one person can fulfill all your needs, but the community can truly hold you. The community can let you experience the fact that, beyond your anguish, there are human hands that hold you and show you God' faithful love.”

Being part of a community which fulfills this need is amazing. Whether that be in real life or in cyberspace I am not really that fussed, but I know that I am fortunate to have people around me who continue to demonstrate to me God's faithful, complete and enduring love.