Finding community was the starting point for this blog (you can read about that here.)  This morning I read this post over at (in)courage about being open to community (a read that really is worth 5 minutes of your time).  My husband and I had a conversation at lunch today that touched on certain aspects of community within the church, specifically some issues we are facing in our church.

And that got me thinking.

How are we supposed to learn, as fallen, dysfunctional, sinful people, to love and care for one another in the way that we were created to?

I think this is an important question.  As we rely on social media more for our “contact” with others, how are we going to learn to actually be the hands and feet of Christ to our Christian family, and then to the larger world around us?

Daily, we throw out happy quotes, family pictures, political statements, recipes, books we like/don’t like, religious views – but are we taking the time to get to know the people behind the names/handles/avatars on the screen?

We email, pin, tweet, respond, update, text, post – but are we calling, meeting for coffee, asking “how are you” and taking the time to wait for the response?

Are we engaging our world with the message that Christ loves them, died for them, and extends grace and mercy where they are today?

I know that I am not.

But I want to do better, be better.  I know how lonely and isolated feels.  I know what it’s like to sit in a room full of people, and yet feel that very few actually care.  And I don’t want to be the one making someone else feel this way.

We are called to community.  We do not live our lives in isolation.  We cannot live for ourselves and our immediate families alone.  Jesus reached out to all areas of society, from the lowest to the highest.  Someone today needs an encouraging word from you, and from me.  They need to know that we care about them – ugly places and all – no strings attached.

Who needs your grace – and more importantly, God’s grace – today?