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Christopher Knight was a shy introverted high school student who decided to get away from it all. One summer day in 1986 he decided to venture into the woods and cut off all human contact. And he wouldn’t speak to another person again for 27 years.

How did he survive? He stole. He committed over 1,000 burglaries, robbing the same camps and cabins dozens of times until he was finally caught in 2013. When interrogated it was obvious that he hadn’t spoken in so long that his vocal chords had atrophied and he found articulating his thoughts extremely difficult. He also developed many weird traits that can only be explained by the fact he didn’t have someone else to help him change. He needed community.

It’s human nature for us to become part of communities. We join athletic teams and clubs, and clubs and societies, and most importantly, we form organic friendships with those around us. It’s interaction which helps us to develop and change. Maybe you sometimes feel isolated or lonely at times. Maybe you’re struggling to find community that welcomes you where you feel comfortable.

Jesus describes ideal community as fellowship or “koinonia.” It means to share something in common. And the church is where this “koinonia” happens. Everyone shares in their relationship with Jesus. The Bible illustrates this community as a body where christ is the head and we are its members, his hands and feet. And every part of the body has a different purpose and it functions best when all its members are unified. The hands need the feet. The eyes need the hands for the whole body to function properly. When we’re unified we suffer together, we rejoice together. We need each other. And through a unified body our spiritual gifts are given purpose as we work together.

This “koinonia” is a means by which Christ changes us and grows us.

If you’d like to talk to me about community, feel free to email me at mike@wellsborobible.com.