Written on the wrapping of a certain candy bar are the words “World’s Finest Chocolate” and just below that “We Fund Communities.” So, I bought three not because it was the world’s finest chocolate, but because the company that makes the candy bar is helping communities. In my mind, this begs the questions: What is a community? Who makes up a community?
Webster defines a community as a group of people who live in the same place or have a particular characteristic in common. It’s where an individual has a feeling of fellowship with others who share common attitudes, interests and goals.
Author Yehuda Berg said, “A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network but rather it’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. The world is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role in it. It is said that you can measure the greatness of a community by the compassionate actions of its members; however, without a sense of caring and compassion, there can be no sense of community.”
As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The question to all of us today is how much do we really care about God’s people? Do we have a feeling of connection and a feeling of responsibility for what happens in the community? Our relatives, our friends, our work associates and our organizations are all a part of our community if we truly care about what is happening in it.
Cesar Chavez, an American civil rights activist, said, “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” We must have the right attitude in caring if our community is to achieve what God intends. Having the right attitude or thinking or feeling about someone or something is typically reflected in our behavior. In fact, it is said that “you cannot have a positive exciting life and a negative mind at the same time.” It’s the biblical theology that we can’t serve two masters at the same time.
Negativity draws away positive energy. If your negativities come from your attitude or perspective then commit yourself at the beginning of each day and each activity to find something positive in yourself and in others around you. Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “This world of ours must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate and be instead a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.” So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
