Rugged Individualism is not Christian

We all need community.  God made us this way.  My weaknesses are not my neighbors weakness so we compliment each other.   As we are being built into the body of Christ my neighbor strengthens me and I him.  God made us this way.  It binds us together, or it should at least.  I know I often fail at this point.  I see my weaknesses and then not seeing them in my neighbor I wonder what is wrong with me.  My neighbor can organize, why can't I?  Because God wants me to form community with my neighbor so I can bring my strengths to my neighbor.

We start out our lives utterly dependent on our parents, family, and community.  We get our basic care and learning from our parents.  We get more of that from our families.  Most of us got our learning and catechism from our community.  All of that creates a dept that is repaid by us in doing the same.  We come from community.

If God made us this way then we will be our best and happiest in community.  It might be painful at first, Sort of like pulling off a bandaid, but then we will heal.  If we see our weaknesses and the weakness of others as an opportunity to grow in community then we don't have to hate our weaknesses.  If we lean on our neighbor then our neighbor will strengthen us just as we do them.

I am continually amazed at how God knows us and loves us.  He knows what I need.  Today my idea was not to write but just to meditate silently in His presence.  The morning I read a daily email that has an excerpt from the catechism and it was on rugged individualism, then I read two small meditations from Thomas Merton.  The first one talked about the fruits of meditation and prayer helping us endure trials and learn to know ourselves better.  The second talked about not existing for ourselves and living for others.  At times God whispers in your ear and other times He yells.  This morning He yelled.  I need to learn that my imperfections are made whole in others and theirs in me.  We hold each other up as we are built into the body of Christ.  I don't have to be perfect.