In times past, neighbors used to know each other more than they do today, and neighbors used to spend more time helping each other more than they do today. Neighbors used to share meals and entertain each other, before the days of television. Times, society and culture have changed and therefore, community is much harder to find today.In the past couple years the effects of Covid-19 have made the situation even worse. That’s especially true in our churches. We seem to be “anonymous” gatherings. Do we really know each other?The Bible reveals that Christianity was never meant to be lived alone and in isolation. The apostle John wrote in 1 Jn. 1:3-7 that an essential part of our faith is that “we have fellowship with one another.” Experiencing the salvation of the Lord involves having fellowship with the Father, and the Son, and each other.The thought that our relationship with God has very little to do with our church community couldn’t be any more wrong. The idea that our faith is only a “personal relationship” with God and Jesus is a counterfeit to real Christianity. Yes, it is a personal relationship with God—but it is also a personal relationship with fellow believers.The word “fellowship” describes our relationship as fellow believers. The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia” and comes from a root meaning “common” or “shared.” Basically, fellowship means a common participation and association with others.Fellowship is not optional – it isn’t a take it or leave it kind of thing. If we want to please God – individually and collectively – then we must work toward real Christian community. A n o t h e r reason our community of faith is so important, is because it will draw others to Christ. Community is not just something Christians need, it is something the lost need. And this is what the church is supposed to be all about: It is supposed to be a family where we know each other and love each other. The church is a “body” and a “family” where we mutually care for one another, minister to one another, and build one another up in Christ.Eleven times in the letters of the NT we are told to “love one another.” In John Christ is recorded telling us six more times that we are to love one another. Love is an action – not just an emotion.
