Why is it necessary to build community?

Living in a distant neighborhood of a small village just outside of Budapest, we have a few neighbors with whom we share the street. When we moved to this tiny area from the “big” city, we expected to know very little about this neighborhood community.

We have been intentionally investing time and effort with our immediate neighbors. This builds trust and a good foundation for the time when we can share the gospel in a natural moment. 
We purposely avoid “preaching” but don’t avoid talking about God when an opportunity arises. When we go to church on Sunday morning, we share where we are going as we pass by.

When one of our neighbor couples made a meal and wanted to share a few portions with us, Marcsi walked over to grab that. Once I’d finished my workday, I wandered over as well. Sitting with them for hours, we spoke about a few things. 
Weather, as it is very cold at the moment. 
Home projects that we will both be doing this year.
The new rooster at one of the neighboring plots. 

As we talked about the rooster, I realized that we have created an environment where we are not just talking about surface-level things. We have now become part of a community that talks about minor things that have little to no impact on our day-to-day tasks.

This is an odd subject to inspire a thought-provoking blog post. However, I recognized we’ve invested two years of our lives with these lovely people. Simply being kind and loving people will open the door to sharing what makes us and who makes us the way we are.

We are still waiting for our next opportunity to share our beliefs and why. Until this arises, we will continue to share thoughts, food, and drinks with the small community we are building here.

To bring it back to the question, why is it crucial to build community?
It is vital to maintain relationships with those who are close to you. Both spiritually and physically. Without a community, you can feel very alone even though you may work alongside 100+ people and live with your family. If you don’t initially build your relationships, there will be no one to lean on when times get challenging.

You may have the best people in your life. But, if they’re kept at a distance, they may not see when times get hard for you. Keeping people close and in tune with your life will ensure that they can help you and you can help them in time of need.

So go ahead, talk about the new rooster! Keep an open mind and a genuine dialogue. Thus, you create, build, and strengthen your community. Through that, Jesus’ mission is fulfilled!