Made for community
I just left my sweet girl's room. She normally sleeps through the night, but every once in a while, she’ll call out for me—maybe because of a bad dream or just a bad feeling. Tonight, she wanted a little extra love and some extra singing (she’s the only one who does, but I’ll take it).
She needed a little extra community.
That’s where my thoughts have been circling—love, friendship, community—what we were made to enjoy.
And tonight, I was so thankful to pick up a book that resonated deeply with where my heart has been. Normally, I prefer to finish a book before sharing my thoughts, but after reading this introduction, I can’t wait to talk about it. Maybe it’ll encourage one of you to pick it up and enjoy it with me!
I'm only 30 pages into the introduction, but I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite books on friendship.
Why Friendship?
Friendship is one of my favorite topics to discuss. It's been one of the greatest blessings in my life.
Over the past 15 years, God has done a tremendous amount of work in me, stripping away layers and barriers that kept me from truly experiencing covenant friendship and vulnerability.
In the future, I hope to share more about some personal projects I'm working on. For now, I invite you to join me on this journey and enjoy the research and resources I'm discovering and learning from!
So, what have I been thinking recently?
The world is lonely.
I’ve shared some stats in other posts, but I found this information interesting from Justin’s book.
Recent statistics show a decline in life expectancy in the United States, the first since the 1960s. Back then, the cause was clear – the flu. But now? We have a new term in our language: "Deaths of Despair." These refer to the tragic and often preventable deaths linked to isolation – alcoholism, overdose, suicide, etc. People are lonely. As Justin points out, “These statistics point to the enduring truth of God’s words in Genesis: ‘It is not good for you to be alone.’” (Introduction, pg. 10)
You can be lonely without God.
If you’re like me, you might have grimaced at that statement at first, unsure how you felt about it. But read this quote, and then read it again.
“You are made for people in such a way that you will be lonely if it is just ‘you and God.’ Dwell on that for a moment. It sounds blasphemous: you can be lonely with God. In Eden, Adam had the one thing you would think he needed, right? You would think that God was sufficient, right? But God himself said, ‘No, it is not good.’ Adam was with the almighty, all-holy, all-fulfilling Trinitarian God of the universe. The one who opens his hand and satisfies the desires of all things. The one who can melt mountains with a word, the one who sings stars into existence. It is crucial to see that our capacity to be lonely with God is not a sign of God’s insufficiency or lack. It is a sign of his unfathomable generosity: God designed us to need people. You cannot experience God the way you were made to until you experience him alongside others.” (Page 14)
My takeaway?
Community is woven into the fibers of who we are because it’s part of who God is and how God designed us.
Jesus: Friendship Made Flesh
I love this quote: “Friendship is not just the word for the opposite of loneliness; it is the word made flesh in Jesus. This means that to become more like Jesus necessarily means to become more and more like a friend.”
Justin goes on to describe "the art and habit of friendship" – vulnerability, honesty, covenant, forgiveness, invitation, geography, time, communication, memory, and worship.
I love how he goes on to describe the beauty of the Trinitarian friendship we see in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that when we practice covenant friendship, we are “rehearsing the future God has destined us for.”
Those words reminded me of this truth I love and am so thankful for - God has given us each other as gifts—both in this life and the next—to walk in community and enjoy Him forever, together.
