Community

This time of the year here at school is possibly one of the most overwhelming times of the year. It is the time where everybody returns with excitement and enthusiasm back to the culture that is JMU. And the freshmen come and experience their fantastic orientation event called August 1787 Orientation. With this whole community coming together, it is an amazing picture. People's love for each other, pride for their school, and excitement for the year shines through their reunions and introductions. Last night, I went to an orientation event which was just a dance party in the middle of campus. As I shuffled till I got blisters on my feet, I stopped, and gazed over the sweaty haze of people gathered together on an overcrowded basketball court. While it is an exciting sight, I wanted to run the other direction. It was so overwhelming to be around so many people.
I have to admit, I fall victim to that in the Christian body too.
With events like on-campus ministries and Passion, I see the body gathered together in such a large mass and while I do revel in the glory of it, the other half of me wants to run and do this whole Christianity thing by myself.
Once I was sitting in the corner of my house doing my quiet time on a Sunday morning when my brother came home from church and decided to confront me on me not going. Now if this was just one time, it would've been fine. But I had gotten into this phase where I bought into the lie that I can do this Christianity thing by myself and the entire time I was home, I avoided church. My brother simply convicted me by saying, "Why would you want to miss out on the opportunity of blessing others?"
You know, thats what the body of Christ is suppose to do for each other! We are suppose to bless others rather than just sit in the corner and receive blessings. For Jesus said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)." We are suppose to strengthen, encourage, and edify each other in love. 
Love is the common denominator in any sort of community.
But as I stand in the in between of divided communities for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I feel as if love is the variable we are all in search of.
Maybe this is the child in me speaking, but I don't understand why Christian communities seek to make their mission different than the mission of other Christian communities. I mean, aren't we all called to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Whatever twist we like to add to that initial mission, we are all still part of the body of Christ.
I always wonder what might happen in the body of Christ if the different Christian communities were willing to humble themselves and come together for the collective mission of spreading the Gospel. I mean, from my understanding, the only way we get things done is when we do it together. But there is too much pride behind ministries that tells them that it is much better when they do it on their own. But you know, I don't blame them, because I was victim to the same thing. I told myself the same lie that I could do this Christianity thing by myself.
I had the pleasure of working in a community called Walterboro, SC this summer. In this community, there was brokeness, crime, hatred, poverty, unemployment, and the pride of a people whose faith in God believed they could redeem this society for the glory of God. So after massive amounts of prayer, denominations coming together, and people just honoring and loving on each other, people outside the body were able to see how the body of Christ is love and people were saved. Things happened, hearts were changed, crime was decreased, and a society was redeemed. All because people decided to come together to bring about Heaven on earth. 
From my understanding, when ministers in New England distributed a letter calling Christians to pray somewhere in the 1730s to 1740s, all denominations supported it and it grew to become "The First Great Awakening."
Things get done when we are willing to die to ourselves for the glory of Jesus Christ to be spread.
Now I am not arguing that all the denominations should blend under one identity. What sort of community would that be? If that happened the body of Christ would be like one giant hand or leg or some body part like that. But what I am arguing is that we should make an effort to honor each other above ourselves as it says in Romans 12:10.
Another part coming soon!