This week, Ben brought up the impact that television has on our concept of family and community. Which begs the question, what are some of the greatest shows on TV? By far, Modern Family has to be at the top. Second would have to be Parks and Recreation. How can you not love the hilariously anti-government leader of the Parks department, Ron Swanson teamed alongside the uber-achiever, Nancy Pelosi-esque Leslie Knope? But one of the most under-rated shows on television is Community, laden with witty pop culture references and brilliantly written story lines.

The show revolves around the lives of seven people from different backgrounds making their way through Community College. In their first year, they all take Spanish and form a study group. In doing so, they form a community. They are all different. Sometimes they do not get along, but they all share one thing in common and that they are all in a crazy Community College. At the end of their year in Spanish, they nearly break up because they lose the thing that brings them together. They will no longer be in the same class. In order to remain a community, they had to find something for them all to share, so they all decide to take Anthropology. If not for this one thing that they share, nothing holds them together as a community.

In Scripture, the Greek word for community is koinonia. It can be translated as fellowship, communion, community, association, or joint participation. It refers to a group of people that are held together by something that they all share. They can be different in hundreds of different ways, but they have one thing in common. This word is used multiple times in Scripture telling us what it is that holds us together as believers.

Things that believers share:

The Holy Spirit (Phil 2:1; 2 Cor 13:14)

Sufferings of Christ (Phil 3:10; Rom 8:17)

Faith in Christ (Phile 6)

The Benefits of Christ’s Death (1 Cor 10:16; Rom 8:17)

Mutual Encouragement (2 Cor 8:4)

The Understanding of the Mystery of Christ (Eph 3:9)

Communion with Christ (1 Cor 1:9)

The Same Mission (Mat 28:19-20)

All these things, all believers share with one another. No matter what ethnicity, nationality, race, occupation, economic background, or sports team loyalty that a Christian has, she shares has these things in common with all other believers. Christians can come together and unite across partisan lines, through racial barriers, in spite of societal prejudices, and in the face of oppression because of these commonalities.

How often do these things that we all share become blurred in the presence of the numerous things that divide us? It is our tendency to seek out differences, to form factions, and to become divided. Community is only birthed out of intention. We must force ourselves to look past the things that divide us and to gaze upon and hold onto the one thing that unites us – Christ. This week, make it your goal to enter into community with someone that is very different than you. Someone that is from a different background, a different culture, a different stage in life. Someone, anyone that is different from you and try to find common ground with them. If they do not share your faith in Christ, use that common ground to introduce them to Christ. If they do share your faith in Christ, use that common ground to worship together.