At its core, community can be defined as a group of people who share common interests or characteristics. Yet, I personally find much more meaning behind such a commonly used and, in my opinion, underrated word: community is not only about loving your neighbors but is also essential in terms of human survival. When I think of community, I think of the Bible verse,
“there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
-1 Corinthians 12: 25-27
In August, I began my freshman year at the University of Dayton and eagerly declared my major in psychology. Typically, when young adults head into their first year of college, they find the world to be significantly bigger than they had ever known before and find a wide array of new people, opportunities, and interests. However, when entering college in the midst of a global pandemic, the world has never felt so small, and we have never felt so alone.
For the past two months, I have spent day and night in my dorm room with my longest commute of the day being across the room to my desk, where I sit to virtually log into my classes and experience my new college life through a screen. Although my computer fills up with faces of classmates and professors, it still feels as if nobody else is there. I quickly came to the realization that my lack of human interaction had shaken the most important relationship in my life. I lost sight of God when I needed Him most. Loneliness consumed me to the point where I felt utterly trapped between the four walls of my dorm room in a building full of strangers. After discussions with members of our CSMSG community and ministers on campus, while it was refreshing, I still didn’t have an idea of how to maintain my relationship with God when he was seemingly nowhere near where I was.
One day, when I was listening to some music, a song from one of my favorite Broadway productions “Dear Evan Hansen” reminded me of what community truly means to me when the entire cast sings,
“Even when the dark comes crashing through,
When you need a friend to carry you,
And when you’re broken on the ground,
You will be found.
So let the light come streaming in,
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again!
Lift your head and look around:
You will be found.”
It was then that I was reminded that our community is stronger than it has ever been before. We are all acting for the greater community as we socially distance ourselves and remotely take classes or work; by doing this, it displays our care for the health of our communities and how we all work together to slowly but surely get our world back to normal once again.
We are not alone. God is here. God has never left our sides. He is here for us, He knows us, and He loves us. God loves you. Keep your head up, find the good in things, and I encourage you to use this time of social distancing for more self-reflection and strengthening your relationship with God. We need to remember that we are all a part of a greater community and bigger picture, and that picture is the Body of Christ.
Bess Lehman
