Christ Community

6 min read

1 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
— Nehemiah 7:1-4

From a consideration of security, it completely makes sense that the Jews would fix the wall of the city before fixing their own homes. What would be the point of fixing up their homes if the city itself was in constant danger of attack.

Spiritually speaking, though, I wonder if this principle is just as relevant. If we do not tend to the spiritual “wall” that protects our communities, what is the point of building and fixing up our homes? Our homes might be beautifully maintained but filled with darkness and brokenness.

Of course, there could be some families who tend to the spiritual health of their homes but couldn’t care less about the spiritual welfare of their neighbors. Again, they would find themselves in constant danger of attack from the outside, spiritually speaking, and the children would be the ones who are most vulnerable.

It’s pretty clear that the Jews back then valued community much more than Americans do today. Obviously, individual rights and, in particular, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are very important values. But it seems to me that the value of individualism has far surpassed the value of community in American culture. As a result, the walls of many communities are in disrepair, metaphorically speaking and sometimes even literally. The shooting in Georgia this past week reminds us once again how broken American communities have become.

I just heard a story about some bullying that went on at West High (it must have been) thirty years ago. Just recently, the victim, claiming multiple suicide attempts, went on a rampage on an independent but very popular social media platform, naming the perpetrators, even showing pictures of them, and demanding that they publicly confess and apologize on that platform.

And the thing is, I’m pretty sure that most of those people involved attended some church. But a “church community” that doesn’t really care for the community is not really a church.

The old saying that it takes a community to raise a child is so true. Along those same lines, it is also true that it takes a gospel-centered church community to raise up a child of God.

Father, You are so gentle and kind to us. Even when we act horribly to one another, You give us many second chances to confess and repent. And yet, You justice will prevail, even in this broken world. Help us Lord to change our ways and not just care about ourselves but our community. Help us to teach our children to be kind and gracious, as You have been kind and gracious to us. In Jesus’s name. Amen.