In conversation with friends who鈥檝e also lived in small communities, we鈥檝e shared stories and chuckles. 鈥淓verybody knows everybody鈥檚 business,鈥� was one remark, 鈥渁nd what they don鈥檛 know,鈥� added another, 鈥渢hey make up.鈥� We had a good laugh about that quip, knowing full well that it鈥檚 true. Case in point: one of the first rumors I heard about ourselves after moving to a very small town went like this: 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got two boys.鈥� True. What wasn鈥檛 true, however, was the pronouncement that they were adopted.
鈥淲hat do you mean, adopted?!鈥� I retorted. 鈥淚鈥檒l have you know that I worked hard to bring those kids into the world!鈥澛� Flabbergasted back then, I laugh about it now. What was true then, however, and I hope it still is, is the underlying care of these communities. Gossip and backbiting were laid aside when someone was in need.
A Google search turned up the following definitions: 鈥渁 group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.鈥� No question but that definition stands; the other part is all about 鈥渁 feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.鈥� 鈥淔ellowship in spite of differences,鈥� I silently added.
Many years later, I still think about those early days of community living (as defined in both sentences), and I realize that those two aspects are too often diametrically opposed to one another. Be they neighbourhood, family, workplace or sadly, church related acquaintances, in-depth community can be shattered by differences and the lack of determination to work through those differences. May we determine in our hearts to promote true fellowship.
鈥淢ake a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.鈥� Ephesians 4:32 (MSG)
