- Ignatius, Letter to Polycarp,
A young boy sat on a park bench deep in thought. Every few moments taking a deep breath holding it till necessity demanded a new one. His slightly frustrated yet inquisitive expressions showed the action to be something of an experiment. One passer by stopped and asked, “Son what are you trying to discover?” the boy with dogmatic certainty stated, “If I can live without air!?” Holding back a chuckle the passer by plainly spoke, “Good luck with that” and continued on his way.
By this time another man strolled up, an older gentleman tall and regal with gray hair and a big smile, The kind of man that bares in his stride a humble dignity, noble and honorable. The gentleman paused for a moment as he observed the odd experiment. Eyes meeting the older man smiles and warmly asks, “What or should I say, Who is it that has you playing such the scientist?” Immersed in his investigation, the boy blurts out, “My brothers!” “Well what could they told you to make you such a seeker?” Looking off down the park path the boy sheepishly begins, “They told me I can’t live without air? I think I can BUT they said I’m 7 what do I know. So I’m going to run away to find how I can live without air.” Thinning his eyes and clinching his jaw he whispers through his teeth, “That will show them.”
The older man wise and willing speaks up, “Sounds like, Air is not your problem? Sounds like Necessity is!” “Necessity?” the boy perks up, “what is that?” The old man again smiles and sits down next to the boy. “Necessity is how life works. It is when we can’t get away from something? Like maybe Air, or older bothers, or the way Brussels sprouts are good for you. But such “Necessities” may not be all bad, we need food...” the boy questions, "like jam and chocolate?" "well Ok yes, those too." The boy smiles softly thinking of jam and chocolate. “They are necessities too; in fact you can see the line that connects all of life in the things we all need to be alive. Take your “air” problem. Though it maybe colorless, odorless and a bit mysterious, you can’t run away from it and no matter how hard you try. We breathe it now and you breathe it if you move to china, no matter how long we hold our breath, we always comeback to thirsting for a new breath. This is because we need it to live. We desire it for it is life. We breathe, we live.” The old man’s eyes sparkle as he tells of his brothers and how he had to learn they where just part of Him learning to breath. With the skill of Merlin the man makes every jester magic every syllable captivating. Now spell bound the boy listens attentively to the words that remind him of home. Seeing the longing in his eyes the old man, unwraps a piece of peppermint the old man asked, “You like candy don’t you?” the boy nods in agreement. “It’s a Necessity!” They both smile.
The older man wise and willing speaks up, “Sounds like, Air is not your problem? Sounds like Necessity is!” “Necessity?” the boy perks up, “what is that?” The old man again smiles and sits down next to the boy. “Necessity is how life works. It is when we can’t get away from something? Like maybe Air, or older bothers, or the way Brussels sprouts are good for you. But such “Necessities” may not be all bad, we need food...” the boy questions, "like jam and chocolate?" "well Ok yes, those too." The boy smiles softly thinking of jam and chocolate. “They are necessities too; in fact you can see the line that connects all of life in the things we all need to be alive. Take your “air” problem. Though it maybe colorless, odorless and a bit mysterious, you can’t run away from it and no matter how hard you try. We breathe it now and you breathe it if you move to china, no matter how long we hold our breath, we always comeback to thirsting for a new breath. This is because we need it to live. We desire it for it is life. We breathe, we live.” The old man’s eyes sparkle as he tells of his brothers and how he had to learn they where just part of Him learning to breath. With the skill of Merlin the man makes every jester magic every syllable captivating. Now spell bound the boy listens attentively to the words that remind him of home. Seeing the longing in his eyes the old man, unwraps a piece of peppermint the old man asked, “You like candy don’t you?” the boy nods in agreement. “It’s a Necessity!” They both smile.
The boy with child like honesty tells the man that he did not understand most of what was said but that he felt better and wanted to go home now. Leaving for home the boy looked back to see the old man holding his breath. With a wink and a gasp the man sent the young scientist on his way. With the boy to far off to hear, the Old man whispers to himself a small phase in Latin, “Lavdem virtvtis necessitati damvs,” [1] “Enjoy the journey, young scientist of life, Go with-God. Find him and discovery the necessities that make life, worth breathing.”
Community is the air we are to breathe as Christians. All around us it fills the context of our breathing and is by design the mode of our being. The Old man in the story was right in his comparison of other and air. The necessity of Community is comparable to the necessity for Air. Community is a necessity like air is a necessity. This should encourage all of us to find a place where the air is clear and the moments sweet. A place made necessarily for you and me.
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notes
[1] When translated means, “We give to necessity the praise of virtue finding the benefit in what's needful”
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