Azusa’s opinion editor shares insight with The Chimes

Editor’s note: This week, Mark Miller and I decided to swap papers. You can read my article in The Clause here. Many thanks to the APU community for letting me share, and for lending us your opinion editor!

Here we are, Biola: smack dab in the middle.

Right now, we are in between two of the biggest holidays celebrated in America. Throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, families all over our nation huddle around fireplaces, share meals together and enjoy time with relatives they only see a few times each year.

Whether in grateful remembrance of the first colonial exploration of America or in anticipation of a respite from work, most of us know what it is like to come together with family and friends for Thanksgiving. The familiar sights and smells of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a whole variety of other foods beckon us to be thankful for all the things we daily pass by without a second thought.

Then there is Christmastime. Love it for the gifts or for the Gift (Jesus), our culture always seems to make a fuss over the winter season for one reason or another. Some choose to congregate around other holidays, too — Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and, of course, the nebulous “winter solstice.”

Holidays bring people together

All of these holidays share an underlying message: We all have a reason to come together. There is more to life than just the daily grind. We need to reflect on the present and look forward to the future while enjoying the present with those around us.

If those two holiday seasons are not enough for you, this year has brought about yet another spot of common ground — the Occupy movement. People from near and far have been setting up camp on the streets of most major cities for the past several weeks, rallying and protesting. What would make them leave the comfort of their homes to share the pavement with total strangers?

Something in common.

Whether because of the “spirit of Christmas” or the campaign to stop economic inequality, we have many reasons to be aware of the reality of community.

God created people for community

I have not always had an open mind to what is going on in the lives of others. When I was younger, I used to focus primarily on myself, minding my own business and speaking when spoken to.

As I have been growing up, however, I have been realizing more and more how amazing life can be with when living it with others. I am not just talking about living next to other people. I mean getting my hands dirty in the work and play of life with the other fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, cousins, nephews, coworkers, classmates, teachers, volunteers and strangers in this life that we all share.

Just take a look at the tightly knit societies among the indigenous peoples of Africa. For example, in the context of the agriculturally based lifestyle of many in Mozambique, survival depends on the combined energy, intuition and creativity of each person in a small town.

Or take a look at the human body. In the quadriceps muscle group in the thigh, each muscle works along with the others to move our bodies with strength and precision.

We need community. God designed us to have active, vibrant relationships with other people. He ingrained in us the capacity to rely on the strength of others, as well as the ability to fortify them in return.

Make the most of what — and who — you have in your life. Like Psalm 133 tells it, unity is a beautiful thing.