Made For Community
IT REALLY IS A SMALL WORLD
Have you ever played the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game? It’s based on the theory that every actor in Hollywood can be traced back to Kevin Bacon in six movies or less (if you want to give it a shot, go here).
I have no idea how tracing the connections of Kevin Bacon ever came up, but it is loosely based on the “six-degrees of separation” hypothesis that showed up way back in 1929. Six degrees of separation is the belief that you or I am only six relationships away from anyone in the world — you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows anyone in the world. For decades this theory was held up as evidence that Walt Disney was right — it really is a small world after all.
As you might guess, the internet, social media, and smartphones in every pocket have drastically reduced the separation in our world. The world is smaller than ever. Research projects of Twitter and Facebook users have shown that the degrees of separation for most people have shrunk to 3.57 degrees. You are less than four people from anyone in the world. If social media platforms continue their growth, it is possible that in the near future, you will be only 1-2 degrees (relationships) from anyone in the world (insert mind-blown emoji here).
WE’RE CONNECTED – BUT ALONE
While technology has helped us to be more connected than ever before, it has not led to a greater sense of community or relationship. We know what everyone else is doing (or at least what they want to share) but we don’t know them. And they don’t know us.
According to a 2018 Nielsen report, “American adults spend over 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or generally interacting with media.” That’s nearly half of each day spent online. Despite all the advances to online communication — emojis, stickers, gifs, bitmojis — contact via technology still falls short and fails to deliver that personal interaction we as humans seem to require.
Recently, 20,000 people participated in a nationwide survey published by Cigna, a global health service company, and the results show that Americans are lonelier than ever, with almost 50% of participants feeling, “left out or lonely.” We are part of a connected society that lacks real connection. That’s why a study from Oxford University states that for every 150 Facebook friends you have, only 4 would show up at a time when you needed a real friend.
CREATED FOR COMMUNITY
When you read the Bible, you find that we were created for community. Scripture tells us that God Himself exists in a relationship (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). At the very beginning of the Bible, in the book of Genesis, God says, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). The Old Testament also tells us that God puts the lonely into families (Psalm 68:6), and the first Christians in history were known for their sense of community and being there for each other. Check this out:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42-47
From its inception, the church was meant to exist in community. The phrase “one another” appears over and over in the New Testament, reminding us that following Jesus is not a solo act and that we go father when we go together.
At a time in history when people are more connected, yet also more lonely, than ever before, the church be a light by re-claiming and demonstrating true community.
The author of Hebrews offers this encouragement to the early church (and to us):
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:23-25
This passage, especially the part about, “not neglecting to meet together,” has often been used to encourage people to show up at church on Sundays. There is some validity to that, but I think the author intends more. It is about real relationships. Face to face, life on life, community. It’s about knowing others and being known. And you can’t get there online. You get there in real life.
BETTER TOGETHER
This fall, we are re-launching our groups at Journey. The purpose of our groups is not to add to your calendar or try to get you to show up for another church thing. Groups are for connection. For relationship. For knowing and being known. Whether your group gathers to study the Bible, share a common area of interest or activity, serves together, or participates in a class, the overriding goal of our groups is true community and connection.
On Sundays in September, we are talking about how community makes us better and what true community looks like. We will also be kicking off our groups. I hope you will join us on Sundays and that you will find your way to a group to experience the connection that you are looking for.