Community. The people, places, and presence of mind that shapes who we are in this world.
Most often the search for community is a soul’s cry for belonging. In every culture of this world we will find all matters of people unconsciously questioning their very being, hungry to know where they fit and why. From the moment of birth a squalling baby will turn their ear to the sounds of its mothers voice, and at the moment of death a soul will draw deeply its last breath laced with final words revealing the condition of a heart lived. From birth to death we were created to be seekers of an infilling.
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
The very first relationship of humankind is recorded in the book of Genesis. As recorded in the scriptures, God had created the earth and everything in it in six days. On the seventh day He rested blessing that day making it holy- He set it apart for God Himself. It was on that fateful sixth day that God created man in His likeness and image. But it is not the creation of woman for man but the very creation of man himself by the command of God’s breath to the dust of the earth where we find the need for relationship established. The conception of community was birthed when God breathed His power into Adam giving him life. And it is that very moment where we can trace back and see where the yearning for belonging was also born: in order for us to have the breath of life- life itself- we need God.
Continue ReadingFor a moment let us set aside the concept of freewill and choice instead focusing on the basics of our creation. From the point of birth our heart will yearn to turn itself to the Creator’s voice. But finding our village, seeking our community, knowing our people, and finding our fit as a leader can become difficult, seemingly never-ending, complicated, and sometimes painful situations in life when we fail to recognize the very first relationship of our lives: God creating our very existence.
In order for us to lead well, being a part of a compassionate and healing community, we must first submit unto the One who called us to leadership and created our desire and need for community in the first place. We must look into the rawness of our heart recognizing that it seeks an infilling. It takes a village for support, empathy, and encouragement to be established in our lives. God desires to make right our relationship with Him first so He may make right the village in which we belong.
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