A Rich Community

There's something special about real community. When you find it, it almost feels like a deep craving in your life has been filled. It feels warm. It gives you comfort and makes you strong. But it's kind of rare. Although we need it so desperately, many of us walk around without any real connections to people around us. Maybe that's why it feels so refreshing when we find a group of people who are really experiencing community with one another. Maybe it's because we deprive ourselves of it, thinking that there are better things to pursue with our time: money, clothes, cars, houses, ipods, TVs, computers, furniture, shoes, vacations, parties, music, stuff.

I found people that didn't have any of these things. But they had something that a lot of the rest of us don't have--community. One of things I love about community is that you can't buy it. Whether you're rich or poor, there's only one way to have community: be community. Love people, serve people. Listen to people, share with people. Be a friend. That's how it's done. The people I found were a grungy crowd of homeless people, drug addicts, alcoholics, and victims of abuse. Every Friday they meet downtown in Bonn in what looks like a small street apartment building. It's kind of like a Salvation Army house. They gather together to talk, to share a meal, to sing, and listen to scripture together. It's beautiful. They have few manners, but greet each other with hugs and laughter. They're dirty and unshaven, but their souls are as bright as the sun. They can't sing on pitch at all, but they sing loudly with grateful hearts. They're hungry, but their hearts are full of grace. They're not educated, but they're masterful story tellers and compelling relaters. They're broken people, but they have each other and they have Christ.

Many of them are Christians. Through the work of this ministry, many of them have found themselves on a journey of faith. There's one full minister and several volunteers at this ministry. I sort of invited myself to go to their dinner meeting last Friday. A friend of mine at the Bible School goes every week. One day I overheard him talking about it, and I asked him if I could go with him. He told me yes. When arrived there at about 4:30 pm on Friday evening, we met in a dinning hall, where there was a long table standing in the middle of room, and it had already been set. Shortly after, men and women began to come in and take a place at the table. When everyone arrived, we began to sing. A young woman about my age played the piano, and my friend from the Bible School played the guitar. We sang several songs together, worshiping and giving thanks to God. After that, the minister read out of Psalms and encouraged the people there with such grace, kindness, and understanding. I didn't understand all of what was said, but you don't need a translator to understand when someone is speaking from his heart. After his short message, we prayed, and then ate together.

We talked for hours. Several of them were quite interested in me, once they learned that I was an American, and especially after they learned I could speak some German. They asked me questions, which I did my best to answer, and then they told me stories. They were fascinating stories, as far as I could tell. I did my best to try to understand and ask questions when I thought it was appropriate. But I largely found that my involvement in the conversations happening at the table wasn't really all that necessary. They hadn't come to see me. They came to see each other, because they loved each other and they needed each other. They were so happy being with one another. They joked, they laughed, they told stories, they nodded their heads in respect...they enjoyed one another.

I just sat back and watched the beauty of their community unfolding before me. I told God how wonderful I thought it all was. I thanked him for loving people like them, and for teaching me that it's not the rich and educated that have it all together. It's the poor, the sick, the weak, the unable, the uneducated, the drug addict, the alcoholic, the orphan, the widow, and the downright sinners that the kingdom of God really belongs to. They receive him with unsuppressed joy, because he's all they have. I asked God to make me more like them. That may seem strange to you, but you see, these people are richer than we are.