The Importance of Community:

These past few weeks have given me a new perspective on community.  This last week I was on the high school rewards trip with the Bridge of Storm Lake’s high school volunteers.  This was a lot of time together as a group and as a small community.  Then this weekend I had the Bison days which is a day of celebration for my small town of Buffalo Center.  I ran in the 10k race, helped face paint for the kids in the park, and went to the French toast breakfast fundraiser for the ambulance committee.  Overall, these little town celebrations show the town’s desire to celebrate the people that live there.  There is a calling to be together and spend the weekend.  Even when our lives are busy, we need to make time to communicate and have a lot of fun with those that are around us.    

I am currently reading a book called “This Outside Life,” by Laurie Kehler.  It has been a wonderful book about finding joy when looking at and interacting with nature.  One chapter I read recently was titled, “Campfire,” and this had a complete focus on community and the importance of it in our walk of life.  Laurie conducted research on the importance of community for her book chapter.  She writes, “Community is the invisible vitality vitamin that researchers are just now discovering.  In many studies on why certain people live so long and so well, the power of community has emerged as just as valuable as diet and exercise.”  The research has also found that one surrounded with community has a greater potential to overcome anxiety, depression, and addictions.  

There are many who are suffering from anxiety and depression because of the time spent apart from society for months amidst the years of 2020 and 2021.  There is also more and more behaviors that are becoming harder and harder to handle for those who are in schools or involved in nonprofit/social work.  There are more and more people who want to quit their jobs because of the amount of stress.  There are businesses that are shutting down because of lack of employment or lack of customers.  We are struggling.  We are hurting.  We are trying to fix these issues in any way that we can than through actually spending time together.  We spend time on our phones trying to block out the pain, but in reality isolating oneself only makes matters worse.    

The Lord created the importance of community and even showcases this in the Bible.   One example is from 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”  It would be incredibly difficult to not have any argument amongst one another.  We all have different opinions and thoughts that make harmony incredibly difficult.  However with the Lord’s help, it can be easier to focus our energy on loving one another instead of creating divisions amongst ourselves.  

Some way I have tried to become more involved in the community is finding ways to volunteer.  There are always ways to volunteer in communities.  This can be big communities or small communities.  I, of course, started out with volunteering at school events.  Since I am a teacher, I knew the best way to get to know the kids and their parents, as well as other coworkers was through helping out at the sporting events.  They have some at least once a week, so there are lots of opportunities.  

Another big way to become more involved in one’s  community is to spend time outside when it isn’t terribly cold or unbearable outside.  (This is, at least the issue of where I live during a lot of the months of the year).  It is amazing how many people you have the opportunity to interact with, when you are outside.  While on walks, I will often run across others I can have conversations with.  I also will often find people to talk to while golfing.  While running or biking, I always have someone I can wave and/or smile at.  You will not find the community while sitting inside your house.  The best way to see others is to go amongst the area we all share-the outdoors.  

Lastly, I believe it is important to pray over your community.  Just like in everything, the main way that you are going to really make an impact on your community is through Jesus Christ.  Spending time lifting up the problems of your community is the best way to fix them.  If there is something that God wants you to do throughout your community, he will make it known to you through the Holy Spirit after time spent in prayer. Remember to thank God and show gratitude for the community He has given you.  He put those people in your life for a reason.  It is always important to show gratitude for them.    

My challenge for you this week is two things.  The first is to spend time in prayer over your community.  What are the issues in your community that need to be prayed over?  What are the blessings or the praises that you also want to lift up to the Lord?  Then I would like to challenge you to think about ways you can be involved in your community.  What is a way that you can volunteer?  What are some ways that you can help out or interact with others in your community? This can even be spending time talking to your neighbors.   It does not have to be big, but what is one thing this week that you can do that you didn’t do last week when it comes to interacting with your community, and then go do it.