Community is in our DNA

“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
– Genesis 2:18

My husband Hayden and I have been living in Australia for a little over 2 years now! Moving to a new country away from family has been quite challenging. Honestly, I didn’t anticipate that we would thrive for this long. However, trusting in God’s plan has made the journey much smoother. But that’s a story for another time. I would be honoured to share with you what is most meaningful to me and what I consider crucial for living out God’s Word: Community.

A moment embedded in my memory occurred when I returned to church with my mum after a period of struggling with depression. As I quietly took my seat beside her, feeling invisible in my absence, something remarkable happened. The elders of the church rushed toward me, arms outstretched, rejoicing at my return. Person after person approached me with blessings, assuring me they had been praying and thinking of me while I was away. When someone asked, “Are you okay?” I couldn’t hold back anymore. Overwhelmed with love and support, I broke down in their arms.

In that moment, I felt the profound truth of community and that the Creator made us to never journey alone. It was a reminder that community is woven into the fabric of our existence, a divine thread in our DNA. God designed and produced the idea of community. He created marriage, then family, ancestry, tribes and cities. In Genesis we find; “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness…” Genesis 1:26. God is talking about the Father, the son and The Holy Spirit. Just as God exists in community, He created us to live with others. Throughout the Old Testament we hear stories like Moses, who gathered his people, in worship, repentance, encouragement and reminder of purpose. In the New Testament, after Jesus returned to heaven. The church was born, and it was lived out in community!

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
– Acts 2:42-47

When Hayden and I first moved here, our aim was to find a church and a community where we could settle into our new life. On our very first Sunday at church, we volunteered not out of obligation or fear of disappointment, but because we craved for and desired the sense of community that is embedded in our DNA. In the short time since we arrived, we’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness of so many people who have invited us to dinner, offered us furniture, lent a hand during our move, shared coffee dates, provided rides, helped us find jobs, and shown us love. This is what made us love Eastlake Church. Here, we’ve found our people, who are like-minded, our source of encouragement, and our community.

My friends, we are never meant to journey alone. It’s not how we are wired. I’ve come to realise that whenever I feel lonely, depressed, or anxious, I truly need to press into my community. I need my people to uplift me, to reconnect me with Jesus, and to just be with me. I encourage all of you to find a crew, to find a place where you can serve, or simply to invite someone over for a meal on Sundays after church! We cannot let ourselves do this journey on earth alone, it’s not who we are.

Community is in our DNA.

Love, Amber xo