My father was impossible to shop for at Christmastime. He has everything, and if he thinks he is in need of something, he will simply go out and buy it without telling the rest of the family.
When I learned Dad wanted to try watching a streaming TV channel, I was overjoyed. Here was a gift I could give him that he couldn’t secure on his own. I purchased the subscription for the channel, bought the device needed to watch the network on their TV and set it up for him and Mom.
Dad not only enjoys the channel I subscribed him to, but also the plethora of free channels that broadcast the old TV westerns he loved in his youth. A family favorite is The Lone Ranger.
According to the story, the Lone Ranger was the sole survivor of a group of six ambushed Texas Rangers. With the help of his trusted friend, Tonto, the Lone Ranger faked his own death and donned his iconic black mask to fight for law and order. He worked for good but did so anonymously, leaving those he helped to wonder, “Who was that masked man?”
When I look at Christianity today, and when I examine seasons of my own life, I see a lot of lone ranger behavior. The character of the Lone Ranger operated independently, pursuing his own agenda (albeit a noble one), but forsaking community in the process. Many Christians nowadays operate the same way. They make a point to attend Christian events and serve various ministries but hop from church to church or forgo regular church attendance entirely. They lack the bond of community vital to the Christian Walk.
The idea of God’s people being called to community is a thread found all throughout the scriptures. Jesus refers to His people as a flock and a family. The apostle Paul refers to God’s people as a body in 1 Corinthians 12 – a body that is not made up of one part but of many parts, designed to function together.
We as believers are in need of support, not only from God but also from other believers who are walking the Christian Walk and can help us avoid life’s pitfalls. We serve God more effectively when we are united with believers in relationship and fellowship – believers who fervently pray, bear one another’s burdens and will work in lockstep to advance His Kingdom
The author of Hebrews calls us to community in this way: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
There may be a lot of room for lone rangers in our society today, but the lone ranger mentality is not God’s way. If we as believers want to have the impact God desires for His Kingdom, we have to be in relationship with one another. The Christian Walk is best journeyed together.
by Beth Crosby