WHOLISTIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Rev Dr Gordon Wong, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore.

In the previous issue of Harvest Force, I suggested that the one book Ezra-Nehemiah in the Older Testament indicates the importance of developing the Mind, Spirit & Body for any community. One might also have used the terms Intellectual, Spiritual and Physical development. This wholistic vision of healthy community development can also be seen in the Newer Testament’s summary description of the early church community in Acts 2:42-47.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. (NIV)

The development of the Mind or Intellect is described in their devotion or commitment to “the apostles’ teaching” (v 42). The attention to the community’s and (since a community is always made up of individuals) the individual’s Spiritual or emotional development may be seen in their devotion to communal worship in “the breaking of bread and prayer” (v 42). The importance of Physical or material needs is indicated in the way the community “had everything in common”, sharing their “property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” (v 44-45) The word “community” itself speaks to the Social aspects of our lives, and this is seen in the way the early church placed importance on “fellowship” (v 42), meeting and eating together (v 46) in both temple and homes, and “enjoying the favour of all the people” (v 47).

The last phrase “enjoying the favour of all the people” reminds me of the description of our Lord Jesus when he was a child on earth. His development as a child is also described as wholistic: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52, NIV)

Jesus grew in wisdom (Intellectual), in stature (Physical), and in favour with God (Spiritual) and man (Social).

May we develop our communities wholistically as well. Amen.