Christ-Centered Community Over Affinity

What is Community? A key question that has many different answers as a result of people’s expectations. Even among Christians there are different answers. Some view it to be a bible study, prayer group, serving together, find a friend as some of the varying answers. Yet biblical community is a partnership between other like-minded Jesus followers that practices the presence, power, and purpose of Jesus Christ. So the common attitude of I need to find people that are like me/my family and have the same interests is not Christ-centered community. Practically speaking, this looks like finding someone who like to run, golf, fish, shop, have play dates with kids of close age, etc that just so happens to be a Christian as well. This is called affinity.

Now experiencing affinity is not wrong but it is not Christ-centered community. Jesus did not die so that we could have affinity with other people. He didn’t die so that we could have a ‘hang out buddy who just so happens to profess to know Jesus as well.’ He didn’t die so that we would have friends that we could call and say can you pray for me w/o them exploring our motives or is the request even legitimate. Jesus died so that He Himself, His presence would not only be the focus but be the power in which we experience life in community. After all, Galatians 3:28 simply says, “Whether you are Jew or Greek, salve or free, male or female – you are all one in Christ.” And just to make sure you understand what Paul is saying we could safely say single or married, kids or no kids, young or old, white or black, sports lover or sports hater, Neil Diamond fans or U2 fans – you are all one in Jesus. So the truth that Paul is reminding Christians of is biblical community is looking at another person and saying to them, “It appears we do not have much in common, except we have and want to know Christ more, and that is what is going to unite us in the deepest way”.

And the solution is not to find people who have similar interest and then add bible study, prayer, service – all great things that ought to be apart of Christ-centered community but that doesn’t guarantee people will experience biblical community. After all, you can pray for other people w/o sharing what you are really struggling with by just sharing prayer requests of your kids, family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors or by sharing general prayer requests of wisdom for a decision or patience for a certain situation. Likewise you can study the Bible together without intersecting His truth with your life by sharing how what God is teaching you is actually being implemented into your beliefs, decisions, behavior. Likewise you can serve with others without sharing how those experiences impacted you. The question we must answer is: are we going to let human experience and schedule determine my participation in Christ-centered community? OR will I let God’s divine instruction dictate my schedule, relationships, actions and behaviors?