Connecting

So there is this book that I have been reading a few chapters at a time cause its not mine its my friends, so I only get to read it when Im over there...
Anyway, it's called connecting. It basically takes a claim that most of our issues in life could be solved through community. Ironically as I was reading I realized two things; Community is what I need! Second, Community is what I am scared of the most!
But I fully have enjoyed this book so far. So many times as Christians we come across someone who is lonely or depressed or struggling with sin and we give them the typical CHristian answer I'll pray for you. But then what?! Nothing... we just ask how they are when we see them, because we have become so caught up in the business of the world around us we have no community anymore! No wonder sin reigns so boldly in our lives... without connecting we loose accountabilit... Not the righteous accountability that lives out of righteous works but the natural knowledge of the other persons deepest soul... that kind of accountability. We wonder why widows can not be comforted and why evangelism is so difficult now a days... without community and connections we can not fully care for the widow... we have no safe fold to bring a non christian into and watch as they begin to connect to us in a way we can lead them to Christ.
This community is NOT the church as a whole... its smaller groups of people that go through life together... that live the necessary walk daily and connect.
Jesus thought it so important he put the command me as commandment number two! Love your neighbor as yourself... If we are real with ourselves we will see that our desire is not to be left alone. It is to recah out and connect and be connected with... that is what the world needs! Love... unconditional love, not this I'll pray for you passive love!
So, then why would I be so afraid of it? Well, first I recognize that at one point I was a part of community, but in my sin I hurt that very community. and when I thought of all people who ought to know how to forgive they ought to know how to forgive right? Christians who have themselves been forgiven. So, I was open and honest about my sin, and I received back an unpleasent respones. One that yelled at my face and told me how very wreched I was; as if I was unaware... One that, to say the least, sent me back out of community. But if community is established for the purpose of connecting, unconditional love, and true growth than it ought to be the safest place to admit sin and seek forgiveness and recognize that in each of us there is a desire to grow... In that we would be free to forgive. That is what community ought to be...

I am very much ranting right now, and totally ready to step off my soap box!
I am going to start praying for this kind of community!