There they were – hundreds of people with iPods and MP3 players dancing in the middle of Paddington Train Station in London…what is going on? I was momentarily frightened until I discovered that the event is called "flash mob dancing". Alerted via emails and text messages, people gather to dance to the prompting of their iPods – contemporary community! No one talked to one another or interacted. Each person was totally engrossed in the music dancing or shouting upon command from their iPods.
I believe these people were seeking community on some level, but it certainly seemed lacking in quality. Where was community defined by:
- Acceptance,
- A willingness to know others and be known and
- A place to grow together and serve?
As I stood there watching people dance in silence and isolation, I was so grateful for community that comes with faith – a faith community. Weekly church attendance does not constitute the richness and depth of Christian community. Peter described that community saying,
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (I Peter 4:8-10 NIV)
Community created by dancing to our own individual interests and desires is a poor substitute for the abundnace of community that Peter describes. His challenge is a big one – let us, this week, take steps toward that challenge. It certainly will be the cure for isolation!
Sharing the journey with you,
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