On this page, you will find information about community, but what, in fact, is community? Webster’s defines it as “a unified body of individuals” and “a group of people with common characteristics.” These two concepts seem more like an unrealistic Utopia than an attainable reality. But are they, are they really? Perhaps it is not the definitions themselves that we should focus on, but rather our interpretation of those definitions through the lens of a fallen world.

Let me first say this: it does not matter what you believe about God, Jesus, Christianity; you are welcome here. Yes, you will find a lot of Jesus here. However, my goal is for you to find the Jesus of the Bible, not the one seen in cultural churches throughout the world today, especially in the Western World. 

When Jesus walked on this earth 2000 years ago, He loved with quiet power, yet boldly spoke the Truth in that love. Yes, as a follower of Christ, I believe in absolute Truth.  Jesus dined with Pharisees, prostitutes, and even Judas. His one desire was that they would truly know Him as their Lord and Saviour; He loved them (and me) when we were His enemy.  He asks only that we repent and believe. Some do….some do not. While I am now a child of God (emphasis on child), I am a work in progress, to say the least. So, while you may walk into my virtual or physical front door and find that there is a lot we do not agree on, please know that I will still accept you into my home, just as Jesus did, but I will also speak up for Truth when necessary.  I will always pray for you and share my community with you, because community is not about the commonality of specific traits, but rather the fact that we are ALL created in the image of God. This page and group will start there, but will also work towards going on to create a sustainable community, which can only happen when Christ is at the center.

Since the beginning of time, humanity has long desired to be part of a community. Why? Because God created us that way. Perfection began with two people in perfect community with God, with each other, and with the rest of God’s creation. They were placed in a garden and given the assignment of stewarding well all that was in it. So, how did we go from that to our modern-day society, where everyone is looking to belong to something or someone, but not at the risk of coming out from behind their keyboard? Well, that is a whole other theological study that you will be thankful to know I will not address in this writing. Or perhaps you are disappointed that I am not delving deeper into that? Whatever the case, please know that as we go on this journey, we will be getting deeper into society’s lost communities, because in fact, the crux of what I hope to do here is to help people come back into the community that God desires for us. On this side of heaven, we will never attain that perfect community as they had in the Garden of Eden; however, that does not mean that we cannot achieve some very substantial and meaningful relationships with God, people, and all of His creation.

However, today’s societies define community by commonality of appearance, social status, beliefs, etc. That is our first misconception. We are basing what we think community should be on human traits and characteristics.  Humans are fickle creatures who like to be led by our feelings, which are more unpredictable than Tennessee weather in the early springtime, where we often experience all four seasons in one day. This is a recipe for disaster as far as growing sustainable communities in our neighborhoods.

So what, pray tell, is the solution to this conundrum we find ourselves in? That is what I pray that we will learn as we take this journey together. Life was meant to be lived in community…and we were meant to live and not merely exist.

Dear readers, if you made it to the end…congratulations, and send me a message if you did. 🙂

Let’s start this journey this moment, so that each tomorrow will be lived a little more fully than today.

Shalom,

Grace & Garden (Jennifer)