Church and Community

Colossians 3:12-17

Last week my son Mercer, who lives in Oregon, surprised us with an unannounced visit home. We had a great week together and it was sad to see him go. We talked the next day and he shared with me what he had come to realize: being part of a loving community is vital. He moved there 4 years ago and has worked in a variety of places and met a variety of people. He has plenty of friends. But he still feels the weight of loneliness often. During those four years I’ve encouraged him to find a church home, and while he’s agreed it’s a good idea, he hasn’t done it. But after this last trip home something clicked. He said to me, “dad, it’s beautiful up here in Oregon. There are so many amazing sights to see and things to do that I love, but without people who love you, its just not worth it. Having a healthy community around you is more important.”

My oldest son experienced something similar in the Spring of his freshman year of college. He called one night feeling homesick. I could hear it in his voice. I packed a bag and went out to visit him for a few days.

There experiences are far from unique. What were they missing? They were missing the love that can only be found inside a loving family. Now I recognize that not everyone has a positive family experience. For some, that sense of belonging has come within other forms of community. And if we don’t recognize our need for it, we will sooner or later find ourselves sinking.