“And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.” (2 Cor. 3:4)
I suppose Hilary and my life’s calling could be described as “Community Development” which is why I find it interesting that we have found ourselves being bullied (yes, I chose that word carefully!) over the last year by Robbinsdale City’s Department of Community Development!
I said in the last blog that I was thankful for this. One of the reasons is because the experience has confirmed in our hearts ‘God’s way’. He is Himself the perfect community of Father, Son and Spirit whose plan has always been to bring the whole of his creation into this divine unity. To do this he does not coerce us by threat, but he wins us by love.
In our human experience everyone’s first encounter with community happens for better or for worse in the context of natural family. Hilary and I were blessed with largely good experiences of families who loved and trusted in God…..an experience we have sought to emulate and bring others into.
Then in our twenties and thirties we found ourselves involved in leading a wider community of Catholics and Protestants in Belfast called “Community of the King.”
This Community became a ‘Sign of Contradiction’ during ‘The Troubles’. When the newspaper headlines around the world were highlighting the sectarian violence in which over three thousand people were killed, we were witnessing the quiet miracle of God changing hearts and bringing about a grass roots and practically grounded unity between people from the ‘two sides’
We were privileged to be part of this and learn more about ‘God’s way’ of forgiveness and kindness, as the ‘miracle’ of community came about in one of the toughest places for that to happen on earth!
The deepest lesson we took away was that:
“The heart of Community development is the development of a Community heart.”
That heart must be free from the idols of pride, self interest, sectarianism and the love of money. This is what it meant to be The Community of the King where we sought to abandon ourselves to “The King of Love” – Jesus, in every aspect of our lives – our attitudes, speech, relationships and behavior.
It wasn’t so much about who we were, but whose we were. Nor was it about what we were doing for Him so much as what we discovered He was doing in our hearts! This is the ‘new covenant’ reality that gives Life that must replace ‘old covenant’ religion that kills.
When in 1994 there was a cessation of “The Troubles” it was not a result of clever political, military or legal maneuvering.
The story goes that one evening the main Protestant leader, Rev. Ian Paisley was praying in his bedroom. He came downstairs and announced to his wife, “God has told me there is something else I need to do.” He then demonstrated an amazing change of heart, for he reached out in friendship to his opposite number, Martin McGuinness to whom he had previously been bitterly opposed.
God had obviously been at work in Martin’s heart too, for he responded graciously and the two, who became known as ‘The Chuckle Brothers’ because of the good humor characterizing their relationship, were then, out of their new found ‘community’, instrumental in breaking the decades long cycle of violence.
I believe in yielding to the Spirit of God in humility and moving beyond self interest and sectarianism, they chose Life, instead of perpetuating death.
One of the most poignant moments in our drama with the local City was when at the Public Hearing the Head of the Robbinsdale Police, who happens to also be our next door neighbor, got up to testify on our behalf. His message, “The Spirit of the law is as important as the letter of the law.”
Remarkable! – the ‘letter of the Law’ enforcement Chief having to point out to the City officials “God’s way” – the way of the Spirit of Christ!
Of course rules and regulations are necessary for the healthy functioning of a community, but they are not the community any more than the rulebook of Football equates to the game of Football! These structures are meant to serve not disturb the Life of the community.
We have found that the most valuable asset in Community Development is PEOPLE.
…….People who have discovered they are part of the Community of the Creator, the author of Life, who said, “Come let US make….” (Gen: 2:28) and who in turn reflect, as God’s children together, that divine community of mutual honoring and deferring, caring and sharing.
When this happens we have observed that Community does indeed develop and flourish!
P.S. Oh yes – The photo?
That is Mike ‘the Bike’ this week, fixing Shiela, Amber Sky, and Hopa’s bikes, late into the night at no charge, maybe so they can ride back to visit us : – ) The heavenly community described above is a very grounded one as it finds earthy expression in our practical caring for one another in this beautiful material world : – )