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our life in common
It might be helpful to ready my recent post on my blog called kononia as an introduction to this post. I'll repeat myself a little here as well. First of all, that word, kononia, translated often, "fellowship," comes from the work koinos, meaning "common." So, to escape the baggage attached to the "F-word" we'll say "life in common" or "common life" - maybe that will be helpful.
In the context of Vine & Branches - that's why I'm writing it on this blog - I am often frustrated by our common life or lack thereof. As the overseer of this community I have a somewhat cherished and idealistic notion of what this life should look like. I think this is both good and bad. Good, in that as the "leader" or "father" I should have an overarching and hopeful view of what the life of this community needs to be and live and act in a way that helps to move us in that direction. Bad, in that sometimes it gets in the way of the reality of how long it takes to build something like that and how hard it is for us as a whole and for individuals in their particular places. Please pray for me that I lean on the good side.
My first quote is, I think, both true and I hope it acts as an encouragement for us as a community.
If we're supposed to have a life that is "in common," what is it that we have in common? It's as much as we give I suppose. Nothing is had in common unless it is given to have.This koinos life does not happen by accident. We cannot just mentally agree to the philosophy of it and expect it to happen on its own. We must will to live it, each one of us. We do not have one another unless we give ourselves to one another. This is the love of siblings. This is what we are called to do.
...we need to open ourselves to be loved, by God and others, and set our will (at least that at a base level) toward loving God and others. And love gives. Love is honest and says what it means. Love does not make people walk on eggshells.I am not asking, nor am I expecting, us all to be perfected in this tonight, or tomorrow for that matter. What I'm calling us to do, because I believe it to be what God is calling us to do, is to will to do this, to be this. Our will is the least we can give, it really is. "Will" is base. We will it, that begets desire, and then it's real to us, and realization begets actualization. I'm calling us, as one, to commit to this. Then we can all encourage one another, inside that commitment, that it will take a long time and not to give up. Grace and Peace be with you.
So, fellowship or life in common, community, is simply the life of love between siblings. It is love, living and moving in us and among us.
| posted by + Alan | 10:41 AM | 5 comments |