We all know that it’s important to have friends, but have you thought about the importance of intentional community in your life? If you don’t have it, I would encourage you to get it.
A community is a group that is committed to each other. They see the good and bad in each other but love them anyway. They don’t always agree on things, but they move past their differences because they are committed to the group as a whole. True community occurs when people are honest with each other and know that they can share their true feelings, doubts, and thoughts without judgment.
A community can come in many forms, and it can range from sports teams to sororities. One of the best forms of community in my life has been my church.
My church is an inner-city church, which means that there is much racial and socio-economic diversity. It is not uncommon to see a homeless man sitting on the pew next to an upper-middle class family. Also, the staff in my church is very ethnically diverse. My pastor is a redhead, but the music leader is Hispanic and the associate pastor is African-American. Along with these racial differences, there are also many differing political opinions within my church.
These different perspectives occasionally lead to disagreements, but they never break up the community that my church has. I love that people from all walks of life can come together because our common beliefs and love of Christ are stronger than our differences. It is a spiritually healthy environment.
If you are interested in building intentional community among your friends, I recommend reading the chapter about community in the book the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. In it, he states that true community is built when people are committed, honest, humble, courteous, confidential, and frequently in contact.
I hope that you have already experienced the joys of living in community, whether it’s in your church, neighborhood, or school. If not, seek out a group with the qualities listed above.
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