Two Christian Communities

Father Albertus Herwanta, O. Carm

Last Sunday, the Lord Jesus declared that He is both the shepherd of the sheep and the gate for His sheep. Through this double image, He guaranteed the salvation of all who enter through Him.

This Sunday, Jesus reaffirms that promise by assuring His followers that He is going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house. These two teachings form the context for a deeper reflection on the nature of Christian communities.

While reading and meditating on today's Scripture passages, I discovered two distinct yet interconnected pictures of Christian community. The first appears in the early church described in the Acts of the Apostles. It was a living, growing fellowship that faced real challenges in caring for all its members equally. When some widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food, the apostles acknowledged the problem. Then, they sought a practical solution: they chose seven men of outstanding reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, to oversee the service.

This community was not perfect, but it was authentic. It struggled, learned, and matured. It was becoming a true Christian community—one where love translates into action and where leadership serves rather than dominates.

The second community is the one Jesus is now preparing. He did not leave His disciples to abandon them. On the contrary, his departure is an act of preparation. He is building an eternal Christian community where no one lacks anything.

Hunger, loneliness, injustice, and grief will not exist there. With Jesus and God the Father, everyone will dwell in perfect and eternal joy. This community has already attained full perfection. It is the answer to every longing of the human heart. No one is neglected; no need goes unmet. The Lord God has finally and fully satisfied His people.

These two communities are not separate or contradictory. They are deeply related. The first community—the church on earth—serves as a preparation for entering the second. Every act of kindness, every effort to include the forgotten, and every decision to serve with wisdom and the Spirit are steps toward that eternal fellowship. Meanwhile, the second community stands as the goal and highest aspiration for the members of the first community. The second community provides daily challenges with purpose, direction, and hope, helping individuals grow in their faith and strengthen their relationships with one another.

Knowing that a perfect community awaits them, Christians are encouraged to build imperfect but genuine communities in the present.

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Do we notice and address the neglect of others? Do we serve others with love and humility? Do we act in a way that is influenced by our search for perfection in the second, perfect community?

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Every Christian is invited to enter that second, perfect community. But the path to the second, perfect community leads through the first, imperfect community. The answer to this question lies in how we treat one another today. Do we notice and address the neglect of others? Do we serve others with love and humility? Do we act in a way that is influenced by our search for perfection in the second, perfect community?

All Christians must honestly respond to these important questions. The love of Christ, who becomes both the front gate and destination, unites the two communities. (*)