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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - SPIRIT, MIND, BODY
from Harvest Force 2022 issue 1
by MMS1
Rev Dr Gordon Wong, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore.
This issue of Harvest Force highlights the theme of “Community Development”.
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The Bible book Ezra-Nehemiah describes three priorities in the development of the community in Jerusalem after the ravages of war with Babylon had left the city in ruins for 70 years. I refer to Ezra-Nehemiah as a single book, following the custom of the Hebrew Bible (unlike the Christian tradition which counts Ezra and Nehemiah as two separate books). The ancient Hebrew scribes (scholars call them Masoretes) included notes at the end of every Bible book, summarizing the total number of verses in every book and indicating which verse marked the book’s mid-point. These notes are found at the end of Nehemiah (but not at the end of Ezra), and the mid-point of the book is indicated as Nehemiah 3:32, which would be accurate only if one regards Ezra- Nehemiah together as one book.
Taking Ezra-Nehemiah together, we can see three major themes: the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1-6); the teaching of God’s Torah (instructions) (Ezra 7-10); the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1-7).
From a chronological perspective, these three events occurred over approximately seventy years, the temple being rebuilt during Haggai’s time (around 516 BC), and the restoration of the city walls being completed during Nehemiah’s time (around 445 BC), with Ezra arriving in Jerusalem to teach the Torah about 13 years earlier (458 BC).
But by highlighting these three major themes together in one book, the inspired writer suggests to us three priorities in the development of the community in Jerusalem after the war had left it in ruins: the rebuilding of the temple for communal Worship, the teaching of God’s Word, and the restoration of the Walls for the protection and Welfare of the people.
These are still the three important priorities in the development of any community: community Worship of God (the spirit), education in God’s Wisdom for life (the mind), and concern for the Welfare of people’s physical needs (the body).
May God help MMS remain faithful in promoting the community development of spirit, mind and body: places of worship for the spirit, schools and wisdom for the mind, and hostels and homes which provide welfare for the body.
