We Need Each Other

I have been a part of the Church since birth. My father was a preacher. He met my mom at Kentucky Christian College, where they got engaged and married. I’ve lived within the Christian Community my whole life. I’ve really never known anything else. I always just assumed that this was normal life for most people. Then the day came when I realized just how different the Christian Community is.

My son Jack was born 10 weeks early due to complications in Rhea’s pregnancy with him. We had a 29-day stay in the NICU as he was watched over and cared for by the amazing nurses, doctors, and staff at St. Joe’s Women’s Hospital. During that time, people gave us gift cards to restaurants so we wouldn’t have to worry about meal planning or prep. Others sent cards letting us know they were hurting with us and praying for us. The church I was ministering at told me to take all the time I needed and not worry about anything while Jack was in the NICU. Due to his early birth, we didn’t have a lot of things that we needed yet, but there were people in the church who helped with those things. I remember sitting down one day with Rhea to eat and she said, “I don’t know how people do it without the Church.”

That hit me hard. I had really taken for granted how good the Church is at taking care of each other. My whole life has been a testimony of the goodness of God’s people and the graciousness that has shown itself constantly over the years. When we accept Christ as our Savior and are baptized into Him we are also gaining something amazing that we don’t always expect….a community. 

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:44–47

This is a picture of the early Church. We see people who were together. They shared their possessions together. They ate meals together. They worshipped together.  They did ministry together. What was the result of all of this togetherness? The Lord added to their numbers daily! This is God’s desire for the Church. He, from the beginning, never wanted us to be alone. Even as far back as Adam, we can see God’s desire for us.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Genesis 2:18

Before there was sin, there was community. Before there was worship, there was community. Before a single song was ever sung to God, before cities, countries, and empires, there was community. God had a plan and community was at the front of it.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12

At no point in God’s Word do we hear that we are to live this life as hermits. We are not commanded to stay away from everyone and just do life ourselves. Unfortunately, in today’s society, we are very “me” centered, and we have a plethora of ways to avoid being around other people. We have Drive-thrus at restaurants, banks, and pharmacies so that we don’t have to actually walk into one of these places and “deal” with people. We can order groceries to be delivered, and everything else we need is on Amazon. We have automatic garage doors that allow us to drive right into our homes and never have to talk with our annoying neighbors. We have privacy fences in our backyards for even more protection from our annoying neighbors. There are virtual reality spaces where we can meet people online and use an avatar to communicate with others without them ever seeing the real person. We even have online church so that we don’t have to go through all of the trouble of getting out of bed and getting dressed to go to church. This is not what God wanted for us. 

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24–25

There’s just something different about being in an intentional community that only wants the best for each member and an undying desire to serve Christ. True Christian community seeks to love, protect, provide, and lift up others within it. When someone is hurting, the community mourns with them. When someone is hungry the community provides the meal. When a bill can’t get paid, the community makes sure it can. We are all born into a family. When we are born again, we gain an entirely new family whose bond is stronger than blood.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24

If you are someone who chooses to be alone more than with others, let me encourage you to change that. There aren’t many, if any, who can truly chase after Christ on their own. We have been beautifully created by God to be part of a beautiful community, and I don’t know how people do life without the Church.