By now, everyone knows that the digital age has changed the way we interact. Our grandparents preach it and our parents see it too and honestly, trying to fix it seems impossible. Even on the World Race, in places where the cost of an iPhone could feed a family for a year, internet is not only a temptation but a huge distraction and an easy way out.When ministry gets tough, I can scroll through my newsfeed for the latest engagement pictures or funny videos. When I miss home, I’m just a few clicks away from a chat with Mom and Dad. And if I want to numb myself with music or movies I can do that too.
In today’s society we use technology as a cushion. We are keeping ourselves at arms length from reality by creating the perfect image of who we want to be and broadcasting it to the world as truth. We monitor our pictures, spend hours thinking of the perfect tweets or statuses to make us seem witty or original, and we turn to “likes” and “favorites” for affirmation. We have thousands of “friends” but no community.
Here in the northern corner of Bogota, Colombia in a little neighborhood called “El Cordito” (The Little Elbow), I have been reminded of how God intended us to share life with one another. This month we are living in a church, and everyday we visit high schools to share the gospel and our testimonies. We also visit the elderly, play with street kids, and help with the services at the church. The members of this church are incredible. They know each other’s struggles and hardships. They laugh together, cry together, pray together, and celebrate life’s blessings together. They love each other well and never give up on each other. This is the kind of community God intends for us to have. When we have close personal relationships with fewer people we change lives and affect thousands. It’s a beautiful ripple affect that can only begin with intentional relationships.
Jesus lived in community with the apostles. He traveled with them, ate with them, prayed with them, and he had meaningful conversations in person everyday. The apostles didn’t just learn from the things He said they learned from his actions. Jesus helped those who couldn’t do anything for Him, and He loved other people fiercely. He gave us the perfect example of community and He intended for us to follow it.
I challenge you to seek to build a community like the one Jesus created. One where you interact in-person regularly, you learn from each other, you work through the hard times together, you laugh together, you put each other’s needs before your own, and you help each other grow. A community where every individual member is fighting to become more like Christ by making other people a priority and learning to love unconditionally.
We need to stop finding worth in likes, favorites, and the number of “friends” we have in our virtual realities and start living in the beautiful world God created. Jesus’ community of 12 apostles started as a small group of people with an incredible message. Their lives created a chain reaction that spread the gospel around the globe and is still affecting lives over 2000 years later. There is an open invitation for you to join that community, all you need to do is accept it!
PS- I am about to leave South America and would love to post a question and answer blog about my first 4 months. Please comment below with a question, and I will try to answer as many as I can in my next blog!
