The Resurrection Community

Living in community is a mark of a Christian life. As Christians, our lives ought to be lived in a way that seeks the common good. This is one of the ways of living that Jesus modeled for us. Christ was not only an advocate for people that were often overlooked, he also sought to share life among them. Jesus did not live to gain individual power and wellbeing, rather Christ lived so that other people would know God and so that all could thrive.

We find an example of this communal way of living in the book of Acts. This text in Scripture shows how the first Christians lived in response to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Acts we find the stories of the women and men who lived with Jesus and witnessed firsthand his teachings and miracles.

Being with and learning from Jesus led these apostles to live a life that was grounded in gracious forgiveness, radical inclusion, and generous community. They had a firsthand view of Christ’s life. They believed in him and believed in the resurrection. They were the first Christians. Therefore, we can lay the foundation of our faith on their example.

Those apostles in Acts were a resurrection community. Their relationship with Jesus and their faith in him led to a certain way of living. One example of this way of living is found in Acts 9:36-43. In these verses of Scripture, we hear about an important figure in Joppa named Tabitha, aka Dorcas. One of the reasons Tabitha is important to her community is because she was “devoted to good works and acts of charity” (Acts 9:36). Later in the text we find that her acts of charity included making clothing for widows. Tabitha noticed a group of people in her community that were in need of something she had to offer. So, she followed the example of Christ and gave what she had for the wellbeing of others.

This is not all we know about Tabitha. She has given much to her community and now she is in need of their support. Scripture tells us that Tabitha has become ill and died. Her community calls in the apostle Peter in hopes of a miracle. Peter finds Tabitha surrounded by the community she has given so much to, praying for her and being present in her time of need.

It seems as though Tabitha is so important to her community that they can’t live without her so Peter brings her back to life. But I think Tabitha is not the only one brought back to life in this story. I imagine that the community Tabitha gave so much to was also brought back to life. Perhaps this community had drifted away from the strength in unity it once had. Yet when Tabitha fell ill, they found themselves coming back together. Things may have been said like, “I miss you,” or “I wish we would get together more often.” This community had lost Tabitha, but when she was brought back to life, so too was that community.

Living in community is a good and holy thing to do. We not only can offer others support in their time of need, but we can also receive support so that we need not face the difficulties in life alone. But what is even more important is that when we live in community, we have a fuller image and presence of God in our lives. Scripture tells us that we are all created in the image of God so when we live with others, when our lives are surrounded with a diverse community, we also are surrounded with a more diverse and thus more accurate image of God. We need other people to get through life and other people need us. We also need community so that we can know God. In this and in every season, may the people of HBUMC be drawn together in community and thus be drawn together toward God.