Community Is Key
John 20 v 24 (NIV)
‘Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.’
I wonder if you’ve ever read this verse and thought where on earth was Thomas? Surely, he would have wanted to have been in the upper room with the other disciples ready to encounter the resurrected Jesus.
Maybe there have been times in your life when you’ve felt let down and disappointed that promises you’ve held onto haven’t yet come to pass. I'm imagining this is exactly how Thomas felt. When we feel frustrated and angry, retreating into isolation to be alone with our thoughts is all too easy. At those moments, being surrounded by a community of believers can almost feel unbearable; we crave a community in which we can be brutally honest about our frustrations and our doubts, yet the fear and shame that come with these conversations are overwhelming.
I am certain that Thomas’s later return to the upper room must have been one of his most courageous and faithful acts. Despite whatever disappointment and confusion he was feeling, he knew that he needed to be surrounded by his fellow disciples. This is a powerful reminder for us, that when we are feeling lost and uncertain about what season Jesus is bringing us through, ultimately, we must never isolate ourselves.
When worshipping feels like an uphill battle, it is the passionate declaration and worship from those around us that will encourage us to pursue our faith. That is why 'community' has played such a central role since the creation of the early church as described in Acts.
I’ll leave you with this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ‘Every Christian community must realise that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship.’*
Prayer — I thank you, Lord, for creating us to be in community. I thank you that we have the opportunity to journey our faith with others through different seasons of life.
*Dietrich Bonhoeffer ‘Life Together’ (1939).