Rocks or Why We Need Community

When I was younger, one of the toys I really liked was a rock tumbler. I can’t remember if it was mine or my siblings', but it was great fun. We would go to the park or just to the corner and collect rocks which we believed had great potential to become beautiful. After we gathered them all together we put them into the rock tumbler, turned it on and listened to the rocks banging against each other. I think we may have put water in there with the rocks too. Then when it stopped we saw all these pretty, shiny clean rocks come out of the tumbler.

We are like rocks in a tumbler, in that we have potential to change. We change by being in community with others. The community is our own personal rock tumbler. The community is our family, our work or school environment, our friends, and of course our faith community.

When we live and grow in community our rough edges are smoothed out by our interaction with others. Each person is needed in the community and the community needs each person. Your church is your faith community and when you participate all have the chance to become better for it.

Now, I’ve no idea what happened with all those pretty, shiny clean rocks from when I was a kid. I do know what happens to the people; they live and serve with joy because of love for and from the community.