The Christian Community Association

Community association rules are intriguing.

Having been rural-raised among the Allegheny foothills of Warren County, I never knew that home ownership could be contingent upon painting the house a pre-approved color, choosing a pet of a particular breed and size, having the garage door open only 15 minutes at a time, or limiting the number of guests at tomorrow’s dinner party.

I understand the logic, to a point. Settling a lot of people into a little space requires some order. And I suppose the simple solution is, if you don’t like the rules, don’t buy into that kind of a community. Go live in the country and make yourself happy.

The problem comes when the community association mindset permeates the church, until the acceptability of an individual depends upon their conformity to inconsequential (and often unwritten) practices and preferences. Christ’s Body cannot adopt the mindset that works in the subdivision: “Like it or leave it.” It’s just not an option.

Why? Because it’s not God’s standard of living. Because, in fact, He doesn’t look on the outside; He looks on the heart. The apostle Paul likewise declared that he no longer regarded anyone from worldly standards (2 Cor. 5:16), but sought to be “all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22 NIV).

After all, he knew what it was like to be held at arm’s length by those he had moved close to. He knew how it felt to incur the displeasure of the association, and to plead, “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange... Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one” (2 Cor. 6:11-7:2).

Has anyone within our church echoed Paul, crying out to a circle of friends or an ABF class or a small group, “Make room in your hearts for us”? Christian community is about opening wide our hearts to people, even as Christ did. It’s about accepting all whom God accepts (as wholeheartedly as He does), and requiring only what He requires.

I don’t think it comes particularly easy to any of us, myself included. But since it’s the association rules of the Kingdom, and since I’m planning a long-term stay in that neighborhood ....