Day 31 - Community is non-negotiable

Reading: Luke 19:1-10

Today we continue our reflections on what it means for us to live together in the household of God. Yesterday we said that God has certain passionate convictions about how our life together should be shared. These passionate convictions could be thought of as the ‘house rules’ (literally the oikos-nomos – from which the word ‘economy’ is derived) that God lays before all who would live in God’s household.

Today and tomorrow we will consider two of the essential ‘house rules’ that will make our living together in the household of God the rich and abundant experience for all, that God intends it to be.

The first house rule is this: Community is non-negotiable

In the household of God we are all one family created to seek the common good and to live in solidarity with one another.
In the eyes of God the people of the world all share a common heritage and origin that make us one family. Being created in the image of God is the defining characteristic of who we are as people (Genesis 1:26-27). Therefore, as members of the human race we are, in essence, a global community living together in one household – under “one roof” as it were.

This has profound implications for the life that we share: The principle of the common good recognises that because we are inextricably bound together in community, the only way we can truly advance our own interests is by seeking to advance the interests of the community as a whole. The principle of solidarity recognises the ongoing necessity to identify with the needs and concerns of others, particularly the poor and marginalised, lest our common identity be forgotten.

In the broadest sense this is true of the entire human family. In a sharper sense this is especially true of the family of faith, which is the church. In the eyes of God the church, as the body of Christ, is one organic entity in which all its constituent parts are intimately interconnected. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26). This sense of community is a non-negotiable part of what it means to live together in the household of God.

In the fallen economies of the world we have lost our sense of community and are alienated from each other.
One of the great ironies of the globalised world in which we live – with its ever-expanding capacity for communication and connection – is the loss of community and the heightened sense of alienation experienced by many. More and more, people are being defined exclusively in economic terms – either as partners, competitors or consumers – in

an increasingly competitive and unforgiving global economy structured around the pursuit of national and corporate self-interest.

As a direct consequence of this disconnection, evils such as nationalism, racism, sexism, militarism, xenophobia, discrimination, materialism and self-serving individualism have become commonplace in our world. Many people have lost their sense of responsibility for the plight of others and have become hardened to the needs of the weak and the vulnerable. The concern for self has replaced the concern for others and the community at large. All this enables economic choices to be made that are selfish and harmful to others.

The gospel proclaims the hope of reconciliation and the forging of radically inclusive communities.
The promise of the gospel affirms that in Christ every alienating barrier is shattered Accordingly, radically inclusive communities of faith can be forged that can heal every division and affirm the fundamental unity that is ours in Christ. As in the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), the discovery of one’s connection with and responsibility towards others, and the willingness to act on that discovery, is none other than the experience of salvation. “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9).

Questions for reflection:

What experiences have you had of true community, where you were included with grace and were made to feel like you belong? What happened exactly?

How welcoming is our church? Are there certain groups of people who might be made to feel uncomfortable here? What do you think should happen?