Theology Blog

A while back I heard or read this quote (I do not recall where it is from):

“Don’t seek identity at the expense of community.”

We live in a highly individualistic culture here in the United States. This rugged individualism has been transposed to the church as well. While it is true that both our faith and our relationship with Jesus are individual in nature, they are not supposed to be limited to individual experience and expression. Christianity is a communal faith and is meant to be understood, experienced, expressed, and grown in community. We work so hard to protect our identity, our rights, or needs that our identity as an individual becomes a God of sorts for us. While we must have and protect our individual identity, most of our identity is formed, born, and expressed in community. In a time where our world desperately needs and craves community and meaningful connection, we must now especially be the church and seek community and not just personal identity.  We must lose our life so that we might save it.