oh, to be in the garden

The Mister and I have been given extraordinary opportunities in life to live with friends and be with people who know us well. Because of this I think we both desire for deep friendships to build community around something real. I have had a number of conversations about this with my bf who has a similar desire. But we have all found that not everyone we encounter has this deep sense of wanting to be known and loved. One of my favorite ideas from Genesis is that we were created to be naked in the garden...created to not be ashamed and to feel the freedom given to us. I think this is a beautiful picture of community.

One of my pastors sent this quote to me this week and at first I was a little frustrated by it but I think that there is something here that gets at my expectations for community.

“I am more and more struck by people in community who are dissatisfied…It is difficult to get people to understand that the ideal doesn’t exist, that personal equilibrium and the harmony they dream of come only after years and years of struggle, and even then only as flashes of grace and peace. If we are always looking for our own equilibrium – I’d even say if we are looking to much for our own peace – we will never find it, because peace is the fruit of love and service to others. I’d like to tell many people in communities who are looking for this impossible ideal: ‘Stop looking for peace, give yourselves where you are. Stop looking at yourselves – look instead at your brothers and sisters in need. Be close to those God has given you in community today; and work with the situation as it is. Ask how you can better love your brothers and sisters. Then you will find peace. You will find rest and that famous balance you’re looking for between the outward and the inward, between prayer and activity, between time for yourself and time for others. Everything will resolve itself through love. Stop wasting time running after the perfect community. Live your life fully in your community today. Stop seeing the flaws – and thank God there are some! Look rather at your own defects and know that you are forgiven and can, in your turn, forgive others and today enter into the conversion of love, and remember, pray always.” JeanVanier, Community and Growth, p.46-7.

Not having read any of this book, I don't know the context of this paragraph but it gives me hope and reminds me to live the life God has set before me. However, I will continue to pray for partners in community (but will not be paralyzed by the lack there of).