(photo courtesy: googleimages)
“Be completely humble
and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to
keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and
one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord,
one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through
all and in all.”- Ephesians 4:2-6 (NIV)
I love the Andy Griffith Show! The characters were
well-written and well-acted. The humor was solid and wholesome. I would enjoy watching
Andy and Barney interacting with each other in order to keep the citizens of Mayberry
safe and would always end up with laughter and a life lesson. Of course, we can’t
forget the catchy whistle tune in the opening credits with Andy and his son
Opie walking down to the fishing hole (it’s in your head now…you’re welcome).
There was something that got me caught up in the show more
than the characters…the town!
The town was peaceful, unless some outsider came in trying
to make trouble, but overall it was a quaint community. Everybody knew each
other and would watch out for their neighbor. It was a community that cared
about community!
They all recognized the need for connection and being with
each other. They rallied around issues together. They recognized needs and
would respond. They celebrated with each other.
Yes, there was tension, like when Barney and Andy were
interested in the same girl and when Opie got into a fight with some kid
because he said something about his “PA!” (Mayberry for “Dad”). However, Andy
would always turn these experiences into a lesson and all who were involved
would listen.
Imagine life like Mayberry. What would it be like? There
would be a community that truly loved each other. The community would bake a
pie, just because, and bring it by to their neighbor. Yes, you would have
humanity creeping in on occasion with some gossip, but authority would step in
and people would listen.
Imagine if the Church (capital C) embraced a “Mayberry-ish”
attitude. It would be the Church that would celebrate another person’s
achievements and joys instead of mocking or judging. This would be the Church
that truly embraced the teaching of their pastor/leader and sought out the advice
and guidance of their elders. This could be the Church that truly grasps a
concept of “Community”, living with each other beyond a Sunday and walking in
life together.
Life may not be Mayberry and unfortunately, neither is
church, but we could strive to be!
If we are intentional about relationships and caring for our
neighbors the way Christ commanded, then we could see Mayberry form.
We will never be perfect in relationships. We will never be
perfect at being good neighbors. Nevertheless, we can aim to work on it
together.
May we strive to love each other more. May we strive to care
about our neighbors beyond a casual “hello”. May we be willing to walk into
life with others and truly live in community.
Mayberry may not be attainable, after all it’s a fictional
town, but their experience can be a reality if we are willing to work at it.
QUESTION: What do you
do to live in intentional community?
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