Isolation v. Community 

I think it’s fair to say that God never intended for any of us to experience life completely alone. In Genesis God says that it is not good for Adam to be alone, so he creates Eve, no matter how many pets he had! God himself has never been alone either. Not even before creation. The very nature of God is to be in community (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). So, if we are created in his image (Genesis again), we are made to be in community too. We are made to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
 
What a really encouraging thought! I don’t have to live this often overwhelming and scary life by myself! I don’t have to celebrate life’s victories alone! Not only do I have a God who loves me enough to sacrifice himself for me, I am also surrounded by his physical presence in this world - his body, the church. Not the bricks, mortar and leaky roof we often associate with ‘church’, but the people within the building. And outside …
 
I recently experienced this very tangibly. I am currently doing a pretty intense, condensed Data Science course. There was a lot of preparation work that needed to be finished before the course started, which involved pretty much learning Python (a computer programming language) from scratch. At various points in this process I felt utterly overwhelmed and, to be completely honest, like the most idiotic person in the world for not finding it easier. Not only because I struggled with learning this new language that makes a computer do things, but also for deciding to go on this ridiculously adventurous journey of a midlife career change in the first place. As Jeremy Goldberg said, “Courage is knowing it might hurt, and doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that’s why life is hard.”
 
As I was wrestling my way through Python 101, nearly tapping out in submission, I sent a message to a couple of friends to ask them to pray. I was very low. Then something unexpected happened. The result of merely sending the message, that little S.O.S. in the hope that someone, somewhere might know about my struggles, made me feel better. Even before all the encouraging messages and prayers came streaming back in response, I felt better just knowing that I was not alone on this wild and wonderful journey. And as a result of feeling better, I did better coding. And as a result of better coding, I did better at wrestling Python into submission.
 
The writer/preacher of Hebrews says this - “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25)
 
So I would challenge you in two ways today:

• Be an encouragement to others for as much and as often as you can be
• Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to be encouraged by others, for as much and as often as you need.

This is probably one of the easiest and best ways to experience God’s presence and power in our world today - being in community.
 
Prayer - Father God, thank you for the community you have placed me in. Please help me be a blessing and to receive blessing as part of this community. Amen.
 
Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash