On Community

Reflections on community

Recently I read the first chapter from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together, titled Community. There are many profound statements in Bonhoeffer's writing, but I have been reflecting on the quote above especially. Three points from this quote stood out to me as meaningful and true since living in Japan:

1. it is purely by God's grace that we get to enjoy some of Christian fellowship here in Japan,
2. not all Christians are guaranteed this blessing,
3. and we long for that gathering on the Last Day.

Christian Fellowship Is Enjoyed Now Only By God's Grace

Back in America, we had a wonderful Christian community surrounding us. Most of the people we hold most dear share our faith. We are members of a Bible-preaching Gospel-proclaiming church alongside other faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

To be honest, we took this blessing somewhat for granted. Of course, we were thankful to God for the friends and church we had. We recognized our Young Marrieds church group as an answer to prayer.

And yet, some part of us thought that our lives as Christians had to be lived out in the context of the local church and therefore, in some sense, Christian community had to be granted to us.

Now it it true that the Christian life is best lived out in the context of the local church because it is, as Bonhoeffer wrote, "a gracious anticipation of the last things." To enjoy the fellowship of the saints is literally to experience heaven on earth.

However, in this life, there is still pain and suffering and sin that must be confronted. There are still people who live as enemies of God, who rebel against the very Source of joy and life trying to seize such things on their own terms. So sometimes we have to sacrifice good things for the benefit of others.

Not All Christians Receive This Blessing

Since living in Japan, we have a front-row seat to how scarce Christian fellowship can be in certain places. That's not to say there is a complete lack of Christian community here, but it is not anywhere near as abundant as it is in America.

Just the other day, we reconnected with the pastor (Kambe-sensei) of the church in Hamamatsu, Japan, whom we met on our short-term trip last year. He had taken a two-hour drive to enjoy a two-hour Hebrew study group with some fellow graduates of Christ Bible Seminary. It was striking that this four-hour round trip journey was worth it for just a bit of study time.

But then we remember where we were. With the lack of Christian resources written in Japanese and the overall lack of Christians, being able to gather with fellow believers of his caliber would be like cool water to a dry throat. With a congregation of about 20-30 people, to have friends with whom he can discuss theology and Hebrew studies must be a priceless treasure.

Maybe those who feel the isolation from Christian community even more are the missionaries is foreign lands, like ourselves. Christa and I are fortunate to be working alongside other Christians who can encourage and exhort us with the Gospel. We even have the blessing of joining a well-established local church. And yet, because we are foreign, because we don't speak Japanese well, and because we are just starting to build relationships, we feel like we are only getting rations of fellowship rather than full meals.

But I can hardly complain because other missionaries around the world and even around Japan, would call our portion a feast. These people don't have churches to attend because they are planting churches. They don't have Christian co-workers, save their families in some cases, because they are Gospel pioneers.

These laborers in the Gospel are starved for Christian fellowship. God has not granted it to them. And so, they live by faith and not by sight, knowing that God is with them and that they are promised a day when they will be visibly and physically gathered together with fellow worshipers of Christ to enjoy fellowship together for eternity.

We Long For The Gathering On That Last Day

So, we should all, with joyful expectancy, hope for that last day. It should be on our minds constantly. To be brought into the family of God, to be able to do the will of God, and to enjoy living in the presence of God unhindered, unsullied, and uninterrupted is the telos of our justification. To witness the Creator being glorified amongst His creation at its fullest capacity is the vision for which we labor to realize.

Christa and I long for this day. Not just for ourselves to enjoy, but also for our brothers and sisters laboring in Japan. We long to be loved perfectly and to be able to love perfectly, free from corrupted motives. We long to be surrounded by people with whom we can geek out about the glory of God like people do with the latest binge-worthy TV shows.

Come Lord Jesus. Come.

Videos and Pictures from October