“And I’m not going to stand and wait,
Not gonna leave until it’s much too late.
On a platform, I’m gonna stand and say
that I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48?rel=0]

The person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.

The idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”

We need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, "It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.

Jesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”

Now before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  

Also found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.

On Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.

It is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.

Back then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.

So we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.

Now you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.

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