Care for your neighbor

According the Japanese National Police Agency, 2,153 people died by suicide in October 2020.¹ That month the number of people who died by suicide was more than the total number of COVID-19 deaths so far in this country. In recent years the rate of suicides had been declining in Japan, but the months leading up to October saw an increase.

The reasons for suicide are often complex, but you don’t have to be an expert to surmise that COVID-19 may have had something to do with this increase. Even after vaccines for the virus are made widely available, I suspect we might be dealing with the insidious effects of this pandemic for a while.

What does God call us, the church, to be in this broken world? As we plant churches, what kind of community would he want us to establish?

The value of community

In his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell tells the remarkable story of Roseto, a small town in Pennsylvania whose residents were all immigrants from the small town of Roseto Valfortore in Italy. The doctors were surprised to find out that, despite their seemingly careless health habits like smoking and drinking, the residents of the US town had an unusually low rate of heart disease and were much healthier than the neighboring towns. After extensive medical and social studies of Roseto, the researchers concluded that the secret was not in genetics or health habits, but in their community. The people of Roseto lived in a close-knit community as an extended family and experienced a sense of trust and security. This community gives us a picture of the kind of effect that the church could have on people, not only on their physical well-being, but also spiritual.

Called to be a community

As people made in the image of the triune God—who is a community in himself—every human being is made for community. We are hardwired to find fulfilment in meaningful relationships and ultimately in a relationship with God. The problem is that our experience of community is sometimes painful because relationships can be far from ideal and often disappointing. If they are unable to find support from meaningful connections with others in the lowest moments of life, some people decide that suicide is their only choice. Could it be that those who are suffering, or even perhaps contemplating suicide would have a different story if they are welcomed into a community where they experience love and hope? Anxiety and isolation may lead to despair that kills, but a loving community can offer hope that saves. Isn’t this what God calls the church to be—a community of God’s children who love one another as family, and who communicate God’s love and the message of hope to those around them?

Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another just as he loved them. When the church is characterized by Christ-like love, it becomes the light of the world. It is a community that displays the coming kingdom and the character of its king. Of course, no church is perfect. But as the gospel does its work and the church experiences the transforming effects of Jesus’ love, we can increasingly love one another by the power of the Spirit. This love will draw others in to find the love and hope they ultimately need.

Finding ways to communicate care

Who has God placed around us whom he wants to draw into our community? Who is isolated? Marginalized? Lonely? Vulnerable? What can we do to show them that they matter to us and to God? Oftentimes it only takes a small act of kindness for someone to feel cared for and connected. Early in 2020, like most of you, due to COVID-19 my family and I saw few other people for several weeks. One of the members of our church left a loaf of bread outside our door and texted us later to let us know. Her kindness reminded us that we were not alone and that we belonged to a wider family. What can we do to communicate our care for people around us in a practical way so they feel a meaningful connection and tangibly experience God’s love?

The gospel compels us to enter others’ lives—even their brokenness and struggles—just like Jesus came into our messy and broken world to show us that God is with us and that he loves us. The gospel makes us bold, willing to risk our own security and comfort for the sake of others. Empowered by the love God has shown us in Jesus, let’s seek to become a community that is increasingly marked by love. Let’s go out into our community to love and care for our neighbors so we can be a part of the Lord’s work as he builds his church.

1. Note: original figures are no longer available online, but were reported in various locations, e.g. https://www.insider.com/japan-more-suicide-deaths-in-october-than-from-covid-19-in-2020 (Dec.11, 2020).