This past week my brother had 2 visitors from Germany.  My brother spent the last two years working in Germany at a L'Arche Community, where he lives with and cares for adults with various physical and mental disabilities.  One of His co-workers and one of the core-members came to visit.  My family had the privilege of spending just about every day with them, and it was an awesome experience.  There was obviously some language barriers, but we were able to communicate fairly well.

I took away a number of things from our time together.  One, I am so proud of my brother who has chosen a profession of service to others.  It is often thankless work.  Second, as I talked with everyone about L'Arche I gained an appreciation for a simpler life.  L'Arche doesn't put a lot of importance on material goods and instead puts community and being-together first on the priority list.  There is a lot to be learned from that.  Third, a tight-knit community is not something that just happens.  It takes time, practice, love, patience, openness, vulnerability.  It means trying to see life from someone else's perspective.  It isn't something you can force and everyone involved has to do their part.  And when "community" finally happens it is wonderful, comforting, empowering.  It's something you will fight to keep.  And true community is much like family.  There's nothing better.

I love that Jericho Road places such importance on "being together."  I hope that as our church grows that we continue to openly invite those who walk through the door to experience the family of Jericho Road.  In many ways I consider this church a part of my family, and that is no small thing.  It is something I thank God for daily and will continue to fight for.  Like a real family we will have our ups and downs, our disagreements.  But, like a real family we'll stick it out and work through what needs to be worked through, God helping us.