Tattoos, tribes and true community

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NIV84)

What makes a true community?

People use the word community to describe all sorts of social groups. But what constitutes a “true” (real, authentic, fully realized) community? If we are born into the same race or family, does our membership in the same tribe equal true community? What if we wear the same colors, tattoo our bodies, endure the same initiation, does our gang become a true community? What makes a true community?

Psychologist and author, Scott Peck, says that most people have only experienced true community in accidental ways and that, usually during crisis. He says that most groups that people think of as communities are really just “pseudo-communities.” He believes that true community requires going through a four stage process of deepening relationships and connection.

These four stages are: (From A Different Drum, M. Scott Peck, M.D.)

1. Pseudo-community: Where participants are “nice with each other”, playing-safe, and presenting what they feel is the most favourable sides of their personalities.
2. Chaos: When people move beyond the inauthenticity of pseudo-community and feel safe enough to present their “shadow” selves.
3. Emptiness: This stage moves beyond attempts to fix, heal and convert found in the chaos stage. Here, people become capable of acknowledging their own woundedness and brokenness, common to all human beings. Out of this emptiness comes the possibility for true community.
4. True community: At this stage the process of deep respect for others and true listening to the stories of others takes place. Peck describes this true community as “glory.” He believes that it reflects a deep yearning in every human soul for compassionate understanding from one’s fellows.

Peck’s description of true community as the “deep yearning in every human soul” is what drives us to tattoo ourselves and identify with tribes. We all have a deep desire for true community.

The Bible teaches us that God made us with this “deep yearning.” He made us relational. He made us to be in relationship with Him and with others. That’s why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love others as ourselves. In other words, God designed us to be in true community with Him and with HIs people.

As I look at any community that approaches the level of being “true,” they always have a certain “DNA” in common. The first century church described in the book of Acts certainly had this DNA. They had four traits in common. These four traits were a devotion to the apostle’s teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer. Restated, they might be 1) a common belief, 2) a common identity, 3) a common practice, and 4) a common dependence.

This coming Sunday we’re launching a new 4-week sermon series entitled “The DNA of Real Community.” We hope you’ll be able to hear every one of these important messages. But more than that…

… we hope you find the true community that is found in Christ alone.

(This article is an edited version of the original written by Gary Combs in September 2008.)