Previous | Next 

Community

Normand Toupin

Community is one of the most beautiful works of God. Community is at the heart of God’s plan. When man was alone, God gave him a woman. Later, God chose a people over whom He would reign as King. He cared for that people, protected them, freed them from slavery and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.

It quickly became apparent that the number one enemy of this call to community was humanity itself. Adam and Eve had everything and by a simple act wrecked it all. Moses and Aaron disobeyed at the rock of Meribah and were deprived of the Promised Land. A single step by an individual can imperil community, just as a single step can build community. By his action, Nehemiah restored the community to life.

Later, in the New Testament, the birth of Jesus called people together, from shepherds to wise men. Jesus began His ministry by establishing a community of disciples. Throughout His ministry, Jesus worked with crowds and lived in cities. And this community He established was affected by the treason of Judas and the denial of Peter.

Each of us should ask ourselves the question: What must I do (welcome, pray for, sympathize with, support) and what must I not do (slander, libel, condemn, accuse) in order to protect the community?


Why is community so important? Because it is in community that the most noble sentiments of human beings are manifested. Jesus said to His followers: “All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another” (John 13:34). This great vision can only be fulfilled by a community. Today, in our individualistic world, a healthy community is one of the best means of evangelism.

The real heroes in history have always been those who served well in a community. We are never heroes for ourselves; we are always heroes in relation to another individual or in relation to a community. Think of Mother Teresa. Or think of Lawrence Lemieux, who, in the summer 1992 Olympics, abandoned first place in a sailboat race in order to rescue a competitor whose boat had capsized. He sacrificed his personal ambition, which he had been pursuing for months, in order to rescue a stranger. He said, “I lost a medal, but I gained a friend.” That is the spirit of community.

One of the great enemies of the gospel is the individualism which is everywhere around us. The thinking that wants everything done my way does not permit us to show “love for one another”. Such thinking utterly destroys the spirit of community. Where individualism exists, there can be no community.

Community is joint responsibility, mutual support, trust, mutual assistance. We have only to see how community operates in a crisis to realize its power. In the face of adversity, community is a safety net which surrounds and supports the wounded. Think of the support given to the flood victims a few years ago in the Saguenay region of Quebec – that is human community at its best.

God summons us to build community: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). It is important to remember that we are making history. Every step that we take today to build community will determine the quality of the Christian life of our children in the future. What legacy will we leave them? Do we feel summoned, and by the grace of God will we achieve, God’s ideal community?

Normand Toupin is a member of the Mennonite Brethren church in Ste-Thérèse, Que. This article is reprinted, with permission, from the November 1996 issue of Le Lien.

Previous | Next 

Last modified May 4, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.