Does It Take A Village To Raise A Child? # No It Take A Community Of Christ!

"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results."

HERMAN MELVILLE

This is the quote that begins Hillary Rodham Clinton’s best selling book, “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child.”  Brothers and Sisters I would like to look at this again. Does it take a village or does it take God?  The problem here is that She doesn't believe that we should, or can, turn back the clock to "the good old days."  She never expressed nostalgia for "family values" nor does she mention God as a solution.  

This is actually the problem of modern society or a modern community. They begin to actually believe that they can have the real power to effect changes.  What is the real essence of the community?  What is the purpose of a community- is it to raise children?  Where does God fit into this community?

The latter question is the focus of this article and to reinforce this point please look at Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  See what Paul has to say about the importance of life in the community.  He realized that it was not just life in a community but life in the community of Christ that we should live in.  This is an important distinction and something that is rarely noted by collectivists who push the community without God.  

As we can clearly see, a collection of people living together as a community is nothing without being centered on God.  You see the power is not in the people, the power is in God and through him and with him they will have the power.  Paul clearly recognized here that without God there is no power in the community. 

Life in the Community of Christ                  Galatians 6 1-10

1.Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted

2. Bear one another’s burdens,and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.

3. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deluding himself.

4. Each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast with regard to himself alone, and not with regard to someone else;

5. for each will bear his own load.

6. One who is being instructed in the word should share all good things with his instructor.

7. Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows,

8. because the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.

9. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up.

10. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all,but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.

On July 13, 2012, President of the United States, Barack Obama told a crowd in Roanoke, Virginia, ““If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. YOU DIDN’T GET THERE ON YOUR OWN… somebody along the way gave you some help…If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made it happen.”   The real problem here is exactly what Paul was talking about and the problem was that President Obama could actually have been correct but for the wrong reasons.  

How could that be the case?  Simple, President Obama was inferring that it was the Government that helped people get what they have obtained.  Brothers and sisters, I am here to tell you what is wrong, wrong, wrong.  Look at the words of Paul.  Look at Galatians and most of all look to God.  It is God who has the greatest power of all.  Simply put it does take a community to raise a child- a community of believers in Christ.  Come back to Church, make sure that your children have their sacraments.  Make sure that they attend Church.  This is the community, this is your duty.  Wake up.  If you let a godless community raise your children, what will happen to them?  If you let a godless government raise your children what will happen to them?

The choice is simple.  The action is simple.  Come back to Church and turn your life to God.  This is the community that needs you and more importantly through this community we can actually raise a government.  Can you imagine living in that world?  If you can, then let’s do it now and forever.  Amen