I saw a special this week on the Amish (would like to watch it again, since I was asleep part of the time). And reading from Lois Tverberg’s new book on the practice of Judaism. What struck me again is the commitment to community by both the Amish and Jews.
In the case of the Amish their commitment to community surely has its complexities, one concern of their’s being not to be conformed to the world. They want relationships with the outside world, but remain cloistered. One could say extreme in their commitment to community, maybe in some ways that are not helpful or altogether healthy. And yet can we be overly committed to fulfilling the “one another’s” we see over and over again in the New Testament, as the one body of Christ?
The Amish commitment is rooted to scripture so that it is no surprise to note what has long been true, Judaism’s commitment to community. Indeed the New Testament is quite Jewish in its orientation, something which the church in significant measure lost and failed to see. Fortunately within the past fifty or so years that realization is being recovered, and helpful in our reading of the New Testament.
This commitment to community is strictly speaking not horizontal, but should be both horizontal and vertical. That is, we together are looking to God through Jesus by the Spirit. We enter together into the life of the Trinity, a life of communion and community.
Too often church has been about getting myself blessed through the sacrament and the word with little or no commitment to community. But the work of God through Jesus by the Spirit is different than that. If community is cut off, then the work of God through Jesus is significantly cut off as well. It is a work not meant just for the community in Jesus, but from that working in community out into the world. Yes, in that strength we let our lights shine in our individual lives through our good works. And also our light shines as we live out in community what we are in Jesus, one body in him.
Something that will work as God intends only as we’re committed to it. Tough and often not pretty. And yet part and parcel of the Spirit’s work among us, in growing us up together into full maturity in Jesus in and for the world.
Ted M. Gossard
It seems that a lot of the choices we make in the community we are part of, when not looking to the vertical the horizontal gets badly effected or infected. I guess no matter what we are a part of our primary relationship with the Lord is greatly tested in more ways than sometimes we are even aware of or care to admit.
Deborah, I think you’re right. The commitment is to the Lord first, and then to each other. The commitment to each other is grounded in our commitment to the Lord. And when we’re committed to the Lord, it naturally follows, that we’re to be committed to each other. If we love the Lord, then we’ll have to love “one another” and that can be a testing of our love for him, to be sure. Good point! Thanks.