Today's buzzwords in the Christian Community are phrases like Authentic, Relevant, Intentional, and Community. Everyone likes using those terms, and the result is a conglomeration of nice sounding language with little umph behind them.
I've been a fan of Community for a long time. I've long said this "personal relationship" idea has isolated many of us from being a part of a bigger story of loving people where they are. We've almost hidden behind the tradition of language to justify our shyness, while most people are just wondering what we're all about.
So, the other day I invited the KIVU staff to come and volunteer for one of Durango's yearly highlighted events, The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
They had no idea what they were doing, just that I had signed all 100 of them up to help serve our downtown community. We didn't go there to get any free publicity, we weren't there to show off; our only intention was to meet a need, smile at our neighbors, and serve the greater community at large.
The outcome couldn't have gone any better.
For those who don't know, Durango is a small mountain town that attracts a lot of outdoor enthusiasts. Bikers, Hikers, Skiers, and Individual athletics are a staple of the town. So when a BIG bike race comes to town, lots of people are hanging out. This time, there were about 4800 in our small town square.
As the KIVU staff went to serve on this morning, they went with open hands and open hearts. They're play was only to serve, and I can't tell you how much it meant when my friends started commenting on how kind they were.
We even got an official letter from the race director thanking our crew for their help.
So many times I've heard faith communities long for 'their' version of community. They warden off anyone who doesn't think like them, and make a sterile environment safe for all those included. They look at people who don't dress like them, talk like them, or hold the same values like them in disdain, and I'm just not sure I see that anywhere in the life of Jesus.
Jesus went out to be WITH people, not to merely create a culture AT people.
He didn't sit on the throne of judgement, but rather came to wash the feet of the people seemingly with the most problems.
He cared for the sick.
He fed the hungry.
He even reached out to build self esteem in those who were lost in life.
Sure, there were times where Jesus displayed the character of a God who is sinless, but for the most part He spent his time in circles that weren't considered safe.
They didn't help build a resume.
They didn't help him move his career from carpenter to King.
They actually might be seen today as people who might drag him down.
But his resolve remained consistent.
THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY IS ABOUT.
It's not about you and the circle you've created.
It's about people who see people as people, and engage in service.
When we see the needs of another, and meet those needs, we instantly have created a bond of trust that goes much further from simple greetings.
I'm so proud of our KIVU staff for the work they did in Durango. They just reached out and showed the world how to be a 'normal' person and still be a person of faith. We don't have to stand out on the side-walks declaring our mission. We just need to employ the teachings of Jesus and watch the world stand in awe.
This is what we're about.
This is the community we live in.
This is how we roll, Living Life Together AND With Others.
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