We Connect
CrossWalk operates on an Open and Relational theological framework, where we believe God is present and engaged everywhere, constantly influencing all creation toward shalom. God is therefore necessarily and genuinely relational, constantly adapting to how we creatures respond to the woo of love. Because we have agency over our own lives, we embrace the openness of the future – not even God knows with specificity what our future holds, because it hasn’t happened yet, and there are too many variables to predict with certainty. This is a dynamic faith that is constantly in process. Going solo on this journey was never the gameplan – we truly journey together whether or not we realize it. How powerful, though, when we wake up to our connectedness with all others and choose to engage community with love and intentionality! What follows are some core reasons why community is so integral to our faith – as it was for Jesus, whom we follow.
Interconnectedness and Mutual Influence. CrossWalk’s theological perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of all entities. In this view, every individual and community influences and is influenced by others. CrossWalkers, who often embrace a vision of faith that includes social justice, inclusivity, and transformation, benefit greatly from being part of a community that supports these values. Community provides a space for mutual influence, allowing individuals to grow in their understanding of justice and love through the experiences and insights of others. The following account from the early formation of the Christian community seems appropriate here:
Acts 2:42-47 (CEB). The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them... Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.
We are capable of duping ourselves into thinking that we are unrelated individuals, that we can make it on our own. This lie we sometimes tell ourselves can have severe consequences. Loneliness for one, and abuse of others to extreme levels for another. Looking out for number one, when taken to its limits, causes mutual suffering. How many versions of A Christmas Carol do we need before we get this? I guess one per generation... I wonder if that early Christian community experienced a sort of collective unitive experience that resulted in the kind of generous, mutual expression of love witnessed in the passage. I think so. Those who have such experiences as individuals nearly always come away from it with softer eyes toward one another, and love wanting to be expressed. This occurs because we realize that we really are connected to one another.
The Ties That Bind
In the heart of every town,
In the quiet of the street,
Lies a thread that weaves us all,
In the places where we meet.
It’s in the shared and simple smile,
The nod, the wave, the chat,
In laughter echoed down the lane,
Or in a neighbor’s pat.
A community is not just homes,
Nor roads that twist and wind,
It’s in the hands that help us rise,
The ties that gently bind.
When one is lost, we all will seek,
When one is down, we care,
A thousand voices, different paths,
Yet all the burdens share.
We gather close in times of joy,
And closer when there’s pain,
For every tear and every laugh,
We dance in sun and rain.
So here’s to those who stand beside,
Through thick and thin, and all,
In the tapestry of life we weave,
We rise, we grow, we fall.
For in this place we call our own,
With hearts so intertwined,
We find our strength, our solace too,
In the ties that gently bind.
Shared Experience and Collective Wisdom. Our theological perspective suggests that truth and understanding emerge from the collective experiences and wisdom of a community rather than from isolated individuals. CrossWalkers might find that their spiritual and ethical insights are deepened and refined through shared dialogue and collective reflection. A community offers diverse perspectives that can challenge, enrich, and broaden one's own understanding of faith and morality. Diversity is wonderful and should be celebrated! Yet we sometimes forget, focusing on ourselves, “othering” others to the point of disregard and disrespect. How tragic! The Apostle Paul addressed such thinking witnessed in the early Christian community in ancient Corinth. They were deeply divided, creating a hierarchy of who was more important than the other. Paul reminded them:
1 Cor. 12: Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink... If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.
The United States has always been a champion of welcoming diversity even while struggling to pull it off. Our better angels help us fulfill the hope of bringing together our diverse thoughts and skills for a better result than any single type or vantage point could hope to offer. One recent image of this reality is the 2024 US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. Google it. That’s the United States at its best – a celebration of what gold can come from embracing our diversity. The more we can harness what that image represents, the stronger a nation we will be. The more we can appreciate and embrace our human diversity, the stronger humanity and the world will be.
Support in the Face of Change. CrossWalk’s theological ethos views reality as constantly evolving, with a focus on becoming and change. We seek to engage with a world that is also in flux, advocating for change and transformation in societal structures. Community provides a crucial support system as individuals navigate these changes. It offers encouragement and solidarity, helping members sustain their commitment to progressive values even when faced with opposition or uncertainty. Life constantly evolves. Challenges never cease. Whether life throws us a curve ball or we begin to trade one paradigm for another, stand for one cause or another, we are in for a wild ride. We need support. Community is that support. Paul encouraged mutual support in a church struggling to find its way: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important” (Galatians 6:2-3 NLT).
I asked members of CrossWalk to share times when community made all the difference. Finding support when going through the rigors of life was deeply important to many, as was the case for these three:
“Going through a difficult divorce made me appreciate being part of a faith community. The personal and spiritual support made all the difference.” – CrossWalker
“Being connected to community made all the difference after I faced a health care challenge. Although I was pretty much incapacitated, just knowing that everybody was there for me, and especially for those caring for me, made all the difference in the world. My recovery is still a work in progress. The community still supports me. Knowing they are there still makes a difference every day. For this I am grateful. Always.” – CrossWalker
“Community made all of the difference when I was serving in the USAF. It was a culture designed to bring in the new people when they arrived on their new assignment. The community helped you with everything from figuring out foreign car tax to how to order a really yummy meal. I have never seen this anywhere else. I am so glad and privileged to have served my country and be part of the amazing community it offered.” – CrossWalker
“I can’t and don’t even want to think about what losing my spouse and then my home would’ve been like if not for the amazing CrossWalk family. I could write a short story on all the people who stepped up to lift me up during those times. My hope is that I can always be there for others, to recognize their needs before they might. Because that was the gift I received. Recognizing that allowing others to help was in turn a gift to them... I have for years joked my motto was keep it surface, keep it safe. But at CrossWalk I’ve found it’s safe to go deeper in relationships, to be seen, to be heard, to feel needed and most of all to feel loved. A gift that I hope I can give to others.” - CrossWalker
Ethical and Relational Growth. In our view, the development of ethical behavior is seen as a relational process. We might engage in practices that promote social justice, equity, environmental stewardship, and much more. Being part of a community allows for the practice and reinforcement of these values in relational contexts, fostering a more robust and dynamic ethical life. The community serves as a forum for ethical discussion, accountability, and action, which can enhance individual and collective moral development. People sometimes know they need community to grow into what they want to become. Finding a community that lives and breathes along a certain line helps us live and breathe along that line. This is the power of so many groups that meet to support one another. Physical fitness, weight loss, grief, depression, substance abuse, living with someone abusing substances, and on and on – being part of a community forms and supports the behavior and beliefs of that community. In the Bible’s book of Ruth, the title character commits to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, as she moves back to her Jewish community. Ruth never would have survived if Naomi and others weren’t there to teach her how to live in that Jewish context. Naomi would have struggled to survive if Ruth hadn’t joined her to care and provide for her needs. The author of the Bible’s letter to the Hebrews instructs the Jewish Christian community to stick together: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially [during challenging times like we are in now]” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT).
The ethic of loving and being loved by neighbors was echoed by two church members:
“Being quickly connected to community (church, school & neighbors) gave our family a sense of "normality" after each of our moves. It sped up our "settling in" process, by being connected. I can't imagine making big moves, like we did, without community!” – CrossWalker
“For me it was after the 2014 Earthquake joining Crosswalk. No other community made such a big impact in my life.” – CrossWalker
“Neighbors who are friends now have made all the difference in caring for our pets when we are on vacation and vice versa.” – CrossWalker
Experiencing and Acting on Divine Impulse. Our perspective posits that God is present in the ongoing process of becoming and influencing the world through what may be called divine persuasion: the nudging and wooing of God. In this framework, CrossWalkers might see community as a critical resource to discern and act upon these divine impulses. By working together, they can better interpret the signs of divine activity and collaborate on initiatives that align with their vision of justice, compassion, and creativity. Whether we believe or perceive it, we are swimming in the presence of God. God’s presence is the unitive web that connects everyone and everything, extending to the furthest reaches of the expanding universe. God, being a constant source of love, shalom, peace, creativity, etc., means that, like True North, the influence of God is always in play. Being part of a community that believes this helps us experience such divine interplay, offering a reference point to see things more clearly. Being part of such community also opens us to experiencing the impulse more because everyone is paying attention. Perhaps this was part of the reasoning of the sage advice found in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (NLT).
Here are some witnesses to the power of community in this regard:
“At the risk of sounding Pollyanna-ish, I think being connected to community makes a difference every day. Even on the days when it seems like I can do it alone, it’s always reassuring to know that my peeps are there to help during those times when I stumble. That’s when the people who know me know how to help. I don’t want to rank my blessings, but community is certainly near the top of the list.” - CrossWalker
“I once experienced a frightening mental health and physical health scare. I was experiencing anxiety which led to high blood pressure, then had panic attacks, which then led to higher blood pressure, and almost every day I thought I was going to die. This occurred so frequently that I felt a deep empathy for those who have such a struggle with long term mental illnesses that they consider taking their own life. I was not considering that as an option myself at all, but I could now see why someone who was experiencing the anguish I was experiencing, but for multiple years, would decide to take such an unfathomable action as a way out of their suffering. The fact that it made sense to me that someone might do that, scared me even more.
“One day, while at CrossWalk, Pastor Pete asked me how I was doing and in passing I joked about how I was approaching a milestone birthday and had been given an early birthday gift which included anxiety and some high blood pressure. I tried to play it off as if I were just getting old and this is part of life.
“A couple days later, Pete texted me saying I was on his mind and reminded me that "anxiety is no joke" and that he could point me to some resources that are helpful in managing anxiety. He gave me three names of therapists and said one in particular had a similar background as me. I called all three therapists and only one got back to me – the one with the similar background as me. I was reluctant in my therapy at first because I felt like I had gone to therapy so many times in my life that if I hadn't figured it out by now, I would never figure it out. But this therapist did have a similar background as me, and I knew I could trust him from the very start. I knew that I had to let go and follow his lead toward healing, even if it was a path that I decided years ago led to a dead-end.
“Fast forward to that milestone birthday. Between the therapy and medication, I have never been in such a better place than I am now in my entire life. The key thing to point out here is that I knew deep down that a simple joke to Pete that cryptically admitted I was going through a hard time would be enough of a cry for help that he would come through. This was because I knew there was a connection with him and the CrossWalk community. I am not a "believer" like I once was, but I believe now more than ever that our "higher power," our God, lives and breathes in the connection of community, especially within the consciousness of community members that are mindful toward the lived experiences of others. – CrossWalker
Encouragement of Holistic Growth. Finally, our stance supports the idea that growth is holistic, involving intellectual, emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions. Community provides a nurturing environment where CrossWalkers can develop in all these areas. It offers opportunities for communal worship, learning, service, and support, which together contribute to a richer and more integrated spiritual life. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other” (John 13:34-35 (CEB). Part of the loving is showing up for one another, to show support and to be supported as we do our best to understand and live by the Way Jesus taught and modeled. This Way is narrow and few find it, according to Jesus. It is highly unlikely that we will find it and stay on it alone. We need support. Others need the support we can give. This is loving each other. Playwright Rich Orloff offers this poem making the point beautifully:
What I Can Offer You
Rich Orloff
I cannot fix your pain
I cannot solve your problem
I can’t prevent the sorrow you’re feeling
Or even guarantee I’ll make you smile
However, because I’ve known
Joy embracing me and disappearing in the middle of the night
Feeling safe and despairing if I’ll ever feel safe again
Lowering my guard and being ambushed by camouflaged demons
And because I’ve also known
The miracle of healing when pain seemed inescapable
The joy of connection when isolation had me surrounded
Love returning and apologizing for its absence
Because I have experienced enough No in my life
To understand tragedy
Because I have been surprised by enough Yes in my life
To maintain hope
Because I’ve known
All these things
And more
I will gladly hold your hand
So you don’t have to face the pains of life alone
And I will wait with you patiently
Until the next miracle arrives
From CrossWalk’s theological perspective, community is vital because it enhances our capacity for mutual influence, collective wisdom, and relational growth. It provides support amid change, fosters ethical development, and helps us discern and act on divine impulses. Through community, we can fully engage with the evolving nature of faith and the world around them.
How are you choosing to invest in community?
CrossWalk operates on an Open and Relational theological framework, where we believe God is present and engaged everywhere, constantly influencing all creation toward shalom. God is therefore necessarily and genuinely relational, constantly adapting to how we creatures respond to the woo of love. Because we have agency over our own lives, we embrace the openness of the future – not even God knows with specificity what our future holds, because it hasn’t happened yet, and there are too many variables to predict with certainty. This is a dynamic faith that is constantly in process. Going solo on this journey was never the gameplan – we truly journey together whether or not we realize it. How powerful, though, when we wake up to our connectedness with all others and choose to engage community with love and intentionality! What follows are some core reasons why community is so integral to our faith – as it was for Jesus, whom we follow.
Interconnectedness and Mutual Influence. CrossWalk’s theological perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of all entities. In this view, every individual and community influences and is influenced by others. CrossWalkers, who often embrace a vision of faith that includes social justice, inclusivity, and transformation, benefit greatly from being part of a community that supports these values. Community provides a space for mutual influence, allowing individuals to grow in their understanding of justice and love through the experiences and insights of others. The following account from the early formation of the Christian community seems appropriate here:
Acts 2:42-47 (CEB). The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them... Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.
We are capable of duping ourselves into thinking that we are unrelated individuals, that we can make it on our own. This lie we sometimes tell ourselves can have severe consequences. Loneliness for one, and abuse of others to extreme levels for another. Looking out for number one, when taken to its limits, causes mutual suffering. How many versions of A Christmas Carol do we need before we get this? I guess one per generation... I wonder if that early Christian community experienced a sort of collective unitive experience that resulted in the kind of generous, mutual expression of love witnessed in the passage. I think so. Those who have such experiences as individuals nearly always come away from it with softer eyes toward one another, and love wanting to be expressed. This occurs because we realize that we really are connected to one another.
The Ties That Bind
In the heart of every town,
In the quiet of the street,
Lies a thread that weaves us all,
In the places where we meet.
It’s in the shared and simple smile,
The nod, the wave, the chat,
In laughter echoed down the lane,
Or in a neighbor’s pat.
A community is not just homes,
Nor roads that twist and wind,
It’s in the hands that help us rise,
The ties that gently bind.
When one is lost, we all will seek,
When one is down, we care,
A thousand voices, different paths,
Yet all the burdens share.
We gather close in times of joy,
And closer when there’s pain,
For every tear and every laugh,
We dance in sun and rain.
So here’s to those who stand beside,
Through thick and thin, and all,
In the tapestry of life we weave,
We rise, we grow, we fall.
For in this place we call our own,
With hearts so intertwined,
We find our strength, our solace too,
In the ties that gently bind.
Shared Experience and Collective Wisdom. Our theological perspective suggests that truth and understanding emerge from the collective experiences and wisdom of a community rather than from isolated individuals. CrossWalkers might find that their spiritual and ethical insights are deepened and refined through shared dialogue and collective reflection. A community offers diverse perspectives that can challenge, enrich, and broaden one's own understanding of faith and morality. Diversity is wonderful and should be celebrated! Yet we sometimes forget, focusing on ourselves, “othering” others to the point of disregard and disrespect. How tragic! The Apostle Paul addressed such thinking witnessed in the early Christian community in ancient Corinth. They were deeply divided, creating a hierarchy of who was more important than the other. Paul reminded them:
1 Cor. 12: Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink... If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.
The United States has always been a champion of welcoming diversity even while struggling to pull it off. Our better angels help us fulfill the hope of bringing together our diverse thoughts and skills for a better result than any single type or vantage point could hope to offer. One recent image of this reality is the 2024 US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. Google it. That’s the United States at its best – a celebration of what gold can come from embracing our diversity. The more we can harness what that image represents, the stronger a nation we will be. The more we can appreciate and embrace our human diversity, the stronger humanity and the world will be.
Support in the Face of Change. CrossWalk’s theological ethos views reality as constantly evolving, with a focus on becoming and change. We seek to engage with a world that is also in flux, advocating for change and transformation in societal structures. Community provides a crucial support system as individuals navigate these changes. It offers encouragement and solidarity, helping members sustain their commitment to progressive values even when faced with opposition or uncertainty. Life constantly evolves. Challenges never cease. Whether life throws us a curve ball or we begin to trade one paradigm for another, stand for one cause or another, we are in for a wild ride. We need support. Community is that support. Paul encouraged mutual support in a church struggling to find its way: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important” (Galatians 6:2-3 NLT).
I asked members of CrossWalk to share times when community made all the difference. Finding support when going through the rigors of life was deeply important to many, as was the case for these three:
“Going through a difficult divorce made me appreciate being part of a faith community. The personal and spiritual support made all the difference.” – CrossWalker
“Being connected to community made all the difference after I faced a health care challenge. Although I was pretty much incapacitated, just knowing that everybody was there for me, and especially for those caring for me, made all the difference in the world. My recovery is still a work in progress. The community still supports me. Knowing they are there still makes a difference every day. For this I am grateful. Always.” – CrossWalker
“Community made all of the difference when I was serving in the USAF. It was a culture designed to bring in the new people when they arrived on their new assignment. The community helped you with everything from figuring out foreign car tax to how to order a really yummy meal. I have never seen this anywhere else. I am so glad and privileged to have served my country and be part of the amazing community it offered.” – CrossWalker
“I can’t and don’t even want to think about what losing my spouse and then my home would’ve been like if not for the amazing CrossWalk family. I could write a short story on all the people who stepped up to lift me up during those times. My hope is that I can always be there for others, to recognize their needs before they might. Because that was the gift I received. Recognizing that allowing others to help was in turn a gift to them... I have for years joked my motto was keep it surface, keep it safe. But at CrossWalk I’ve found it’s safe to go deeper in relationships, to be seen, to be heard, to feel needed and most of all to feel loved. A gift that I hope I can give to others.” - CrossWalker
Ethical and Relational Growth. In our view, the development of ethical behavior is seen as a relational process. We might engage in practices that promote social justice, equity, environmental stewardship, and much more. Being part of a community allows for the practice and reinforcement of these values in relational contexts, fostering a more robust and dynamic ethical life. The community serves as a forum for ethical discussion, accountability, and action, which can enhance individual and collective moral development. People sometimes know they need community to grow into what they want to become. Finding a community that lives and breathes along a certain line helps us live and breathe along that line. This is the power of so many groups that meet to support one another. Physical fitness, weight loss, grief, depression, substance abuse, living with someone abusing substances, and on and on – being part of a community forms and supports the behavior and beliefs of that community. In the Bible’s book of Ruth, the title character commits to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, as she moves back to her Jewish community. Ruth never would have survived if Naomi and others weren’t there to teach her how to live in that Jewish context. Naomi would have struggled to survive if Ruth hadn’t joined her to care and provide for her needs. The author of the Bible’s letter to the Hebrews instructs the Jewish Christian community to stick together: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially [during challenging times like we are in now]” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT).
The ethic of loving and being loved by neighbors was echoed by two church members:
“Being quickly connected to community (church, school & neighbors) gave our family a sense of "normality" after each of our moves. It sped up our "settling in" process, by being connected. I can't imagine making big moves, like we did, without community!” – CrossWalker
“For me it was after the 2014 Earthquake joining Crosswalk. No other community made such a big impact in my life.” – CrossWalker
“Neighbors who are friends now have made all the difference in caring for our pets when we are on vacation and vice versa.” – CrossWalker
Experiencing and Acting on Divine Impulse. Our perspective posits that God is present in the ongoing process of becoming and influencing the world through what may be called divine persuasion: the nudging and wooing of God. In this framework, CrossWalkers might see community as a critical resource to discern and act upon these divine impulses. By working together, they can better interpret the signs of divine activity and collaborate on initiatives that align with their vision of justice, compassion, and creativity. Whether we believe or perceive it, we are swimming in the presence of God. God’s presence is the unitive web that connects everyone and everything, extending to the furthest reaches of the expanding universe. God, being a constant source of love, shalom, peace, creativity, etc., means that, like True North, the influence of God is always in play. Being part of a community that believes this helps us experience such divine interplay, offering a reference point to see things more clearly. Being part of such community also opens us to experiencing the impulse more because everyone is paying attention. Perhaps this was part of the reasoning of the sage advice found in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (NLT).
Here are some witnesses to the power of community in this regard:
“At the risk of sounding Pollyanna-ish, I think being connected to community makes a difference every day. Even on the days when it seems like I can do it alone, it’s always reassuring to know that my peeps are there to help during those times when I stumble. That’s when the people who know me know how to help. I don’t want to rank my blessings, but community is certainly near the top of the list.” - CrossWalker
“I once experienced a frightening mental health and physical health scare. I was experiencing anxiety which led to high blood pressure, then had panic attacks, which then led to higher blood pressure, and almost every day I thought I was going to die. This occurred so frequently that I felt a deep empathy for those who have such a struggle with long term mental illnesses that they consider taking their own life. I was not considering that as an option myself at all, but I could now see why someone who was experiencing the anguish I was experiencing, but for multiple years, would decide to take such an unfathomable action as a way out of their suffering. The fact that it made sense to me that someone might do that, scared me even more.
“One day, while at CrossWalk, Pastor Pete asked me how I was doing and in passing I joked about how I was approaching a milestone birthday and had been given an early birthday gift which included anxiety and some high blood pressure. I tried to play it off as if I were just getting old and this is part of life.
“A couple days later, Pete texted me saying I was on his mind and reminded me that "anxiety is no joke" and that he could point me to some resources that are helpful in managing anxiety. He gave me three names of therapists and said one in particular had a similar background as me. I called all three therapists and only one got back to me – the one with the similar background as me. I was reluctant in my therapy at first because I felt like I had gone to therapy so many times in my life that if I hadn't figured it out by now, I would never figure it out. But this therapist did have a similar background as me, and I knew I could trust him from the very start. I knew that I had to let go and follow his lead toward healing, even if it was a path that I decided years ago led to a dead-end.
“Fast forward to that milestone birthday. Between the therapy and medication, I have never been in such a better place than I am now in my entire life. The key thing to point out here is that I knew deep down that a simple joke to Pete that cryptically admitted I was going through a hard time would be enough of a cry for help that he would come through. This was because I knew there was a connection with him and the CrossWalk community. I am not a "believer" like I once was, but I believe now more than ever that our "higher power," our God, lives and breathes in the connection of community, especially within the consciousness of community members that are mindful toward the lived experiences of others. – CrossWalker
Encouragement of Holistic Growth. Finally, our stance supports the idea that growth is holistic, involving intellectual, emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions. Community provides a nurturing environment where CrossWalkers can develop in all these areas. It offers opportunities for communal worship, learning, service, and support, which together contribute to a richer and more integrated spiritual life. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other” (John 13:34-35 (CEB). Part of the loving is showing up for one another, to show support and to be supported as we do our best to understand and live by the Way Jesus taught and modeled. This Way is narrow and few find it, according to Jesus. It is highly unlikely that we will find it and stay on it alone. We need support. Others need the support we can give. This is loving each other. Playwright Rich Orloff offers this poem making the point beautifully:
What I Can Offer You
Rich Orloff
I cannot fix your pain
I cannot solve your problem
I can’t prevent the sorrow you’re feeling
Or even guarantee I’ll make you smile
However, because I’ve known
Joy embracing me and disappearing in the middle of the night
Feeling safe and despairing if I’ll ever feel safe again
Lowering my guard and being ambushed by camouflaged demons
And because I’ve also known
The miracle of healing when pain seemed inescapable
The joy of connection when isolation had me surrounded
Love returning and apologizing for its absence
Because I have experienced enough No in my life
To understand tragedy
Because I have been surprised by enough Yes in my life
To maintain hope
Because I’ve known
All these things
And more
I will gladly hold your hand
So you don’t have to face the pains of life alone
And I will wait with you patiently
Until the next miracle arrives
From CrossWalk’s theological perspective, community is vital because it enhances our capacity for mutual influence, collective wisdom, and relational growth. It provides support amid change, fosters ethical development, and helps us discern and act on divine impulses. Through community, we can fully engage with the evolving nature of faith and the world around them.
How are you choosing to invest in community?