I remember growing up in a neighborhood with few privacy fences. All the neighborhood kids knew each other and hung out together. The adults talked in the front yards, borrowed tools and helped each other with projects. I have a lot of great memories of that time.

Today is a different time.

I am not talking about some sentimental time period or some long abandoned cultural norm that is is seen as a relic. This is a trait that is woven into the fabric of who we were created to be. God created us to live in community with each other. He infused us with relational DNA. We long to be in meaningful relationships with each other, we long for true community. Jesus prayed a prayer for our community in John 17…

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.  John 17:20-21

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is at the heart of God’s plan for mankind. It’s what Jesus accomplished next that redeemed our need for community and redeems our broken relationships with others. This amazing redemption should bleed into our community with others. Christ wants to remove the barriers like privacy fences, personal space, and hidden burdens that drive us from community into isolation.

In what ways have you experience Christ’s redemption of the community in your life?