“Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own. The question, therefore, is not ‘How can we make community?’ but, ‘How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?” – Henri Nouwen

Here’s a brief follow-up story to Thursday’s United Way community bike ride post: “When we share positive stories we can change the narrative.”

Very often the guy behind the camera turns out to be me, so it was fun – this time – to run across these images from a real professional quality photographer on the other side of the lens. Hats off to digital creator Boogielou Johnson Photography, and thanks for sharing your good work.

Some of the best outcomes of events such as this (in addition to fundraising and consciousness-raising for the United Way) are the very real connections that are formed between people.

Good folk like Edgecombe County Sheriff Clee Atkinson, who does so much to promote our community and to encourage productive relationships across the board. And good people like Reggie Barrett, who was kind enough to ride alongside me most of the way during Thursday’s “Bike 4 United Way” event.

Finding Community at Church:

We all need to experience redemptive community, and one of the best things we can do to find it is to become active in a local church. Church is where we can find one-another, where we can encourage each other and where we have a place to share our joys and our burdens too.

Standing with our neighbor doesn’t mean we have to always agree with them, or vote with them, or walk in lockstep regarding their stand on social issues. But standing together is an invitation to love one another and to live in peace.

Personally, I don’t believe there is anything more holy or more necessary at this particular moment, or anything more likely to save us all.

In love, and in the hope that grace offers – DEREK