It Happens

I saw God today, unexpectedly. My friend said he wasn’t sure who would show up. Well, over a dozen friends did. They are extraordinarily ordinary people who showed up and brought their spouses, kids and God along with them. We laughed and loaded the moving truck to the brim with boxes, furniture, toys and odds and ends. Then we shared pizza, prayers, tears and hugs to carry our beloved family (friends) a little further up the road.

God appeared again, unexpectedly. When that same truck pulled up in front of the new house there was an even larger group of extraordinarily ordinary people waiting. They are seminary students who showed up and brought their spouses, children and God along to meet us. Everyone helped in one way or another. The children stood in line at the back of the truck to carry what they could and the entire job was done in no time flat. It was joyful and miraculous. It was “God-all-up-in-there-amongst-us”. One seminarian was heard to say, “It’s just what we do”.

In a word, “it” is community. Community is not just a word. It is not just the hottest hipster way of doing churchy stuff. Community is people showing up and sharing their hearts, lives and love whenever and wherever. Community happens when extraordinarily ordinary people “do” community. It crosses every boundary and breaks down every barrier we create to contain it. It is where God shows up. It is real. I saw it happen.