Note: This is something I wrote a long time ago back before the WordPress days. It’s probably from 2010 or earlier:

“I think one of the reasons that community is so important is that it enlarges our view of God. I like to think that each of us carry puzzle pieces of what God is like. Each has a few pieces that reveal a limited aspect of God. When you get to know me, you add more pieces to your puzzle and your view of God gets bigger and clearer. When I get to know you, the same happens for me.

The more people whose lives we invest in, the more pieces and the bigger our view of God becomes and the more the pieces fall into place and connect into more coherent forms.

I truly believe that we grow as believers and our knowledge of God increases only in the context of community, where we share with each other and serve one another in love. There’s no way I can figuire out God on my own, apart from other believers.

There it is. That’s my thought for the day. Hope it helps.”

I think believers as individuals can reflect the image of God, but not as well as when we function within the context of community. As we compliment each other with our strengths and weaknesses, we demonstrate the totality of who Jesus is to the world.

It’s no accident that one name for the Church is the body of Christ. No one person can represent all of who Jesus is, but we can each play a part. Together like the pieces of a puzzle or a mosaic or a work of stained glass, we reflect the glory of God as shown in Jesus Christ.