4.5 degrees of Kevin Bacon?
Dave & I were at a meet & greet event last night that was put on by our local Chamber of Commerce to introduce elected officials to the community. One converstaion we had with some ladies from the newspaper and a local builder took an interesting twist.
Turns out Dave’s wife, Hollie, used to babysit for the builder’s kids – small world – and so we started talking about the 6 degrees of separation theory and how despite the fact that the population of the world is growing exponentially (almost 7 billion), we are actually more connected than ever. In fact, some experts are saying that separation has shifted from 6 degrees down to 4.5 and is shrinking all the time.
Even as conectivity increases, I find 2 things to be true:
People are craving true community more than ever
Connection isn’t the same as community (although it’s a good start). Community requires a responsibility toward others that connectivity doesn’t. There’s a desire in each of us to find a place where we can be accepted despite our downfalls, loved even when we’re weak, and a safe place to grow in our gifts & abilities.
Emotional maturity & health are more important than ever
No one else is responsible for your emotional health & maturity. God Himself won’t manage your emotions – He gave you authority over that. The biggest obstacle to true community is people not taking ownership of their own emotions. What’s ironic is that true community is what helps bring healing to emotional damage.
While increased connectivity gives more opportunity for community, only owning our emotional stuff will empower true community.
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A true disciple of Christ definitely values community! Jesus’ first disciples came out of a culture that was build around COMMUNITY. They went from one community (centered around a family unit and special trade) to Jesus’ community where they learned to become like their Rabbi. Is it even possible to be a disciple of Christ outside of community?
With the constant reminder of our individualism, how can we become more a community and less an individual as a follower of Christ?
I believe God shows us social order by example of the trinity. God the Father is the head God the Son submits to the Father and God the Holy Spirit submits to both. This very frmework should be a foundatian in every facet of society and a main one is community. A certain lawyer asked Jesus “who is my nieghbor?”,and Jesus answered by telling us to even show love and compassion to the poeple we might not like so well. Sometimes connecting with someone is a sacrifice, but a blessing also.
Ryan: I don’t see how it’s possible to follow Jesus apart from community (outside of some isolation out of one’s control) – this is something that needs correction in our generation – in addition to emphasis on personal relationship with Jesus we need greater awareness of our communal relationship with Jesus (as a people).
Yo Tom: Good to hear from you! You’re right – community is exemplified in the relationship of Father-Spirit-Son. Jesus didn’t say: by this others will know your my disciples – that you memorize 50 Scriptures – but that you love one another.
Great stuff so far – what I’d like to hear is some thoughts on the emotional maturity/responsibility aspects that make community work.
Connecting Points:
When you talk about community, it is made up of multiple different people with many different backgrounds, personalities, gifts etc..
But bringing them all together you start to see connecting points in those different areas. For example, someone in the community has been living a great life with minimal problems or concerns, and then one day goes through a painful experience that devistates him and starts him on a downward spiral. Somebody else in the community has had a very rough life with similar pain but recently found freedom, healing, and joy no matter what the circumstance he is in. These two are very different in many ways but they find their connecting point which gives the first person hope and healing and the second person purpose and responsibility. One key to remember with the connecting point is that without these two being open and honest with themselves and others the connecting point would never have happened.
One more thing about connecting points is that they don’t have to be between person and person. It can be person to vision of the community. When there is a vision for the community and a person finds their connecting point with the vision it can move the vision forward which will keep building community.
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