are we in this together?

if you’ve ever had a business partnership in china, you may know it’s about much more than signing a contract.  business is focused on developing strong, trusting relationships that take time.  in fact, it might take days of dinners and meetings before the actual business deal is even talked about!

a child born in uganda isn’t born just into a family, but an entire village that takes responsibility for their upbringing.  it is common to pay the school fees for your neighbor’s child, or make meals for the whole village to share.

in chiapas, mexico, the zapatista’s use the word hermanamiento to describe the “brotherhood” of not only community members but also between the community and international partners.  it is the concept that “you can call on me and i can call on you” in the time of need, no questions asked, no commodities, no rewards.  it’s not considered an act of compassion but an act of empowerment.

and in the west, we praise the individual.  we commend the basketball player who scores the most points, the pastor with the largest congregation, the host who throws the best parties, and the student with the best grades.  there’s definitely a time and place to acknowledge and admire certain accomplishments, but i think we have a lot to learn from other cultures.

we push for individualism and independence.  we praise promotions and popularity. we strive to be recognized and rewarded.  there’s no doubt God has created each person with unique gifts, talents, and traits (psalm 139:13-16), but He didn’t create us to live life alone. the power of a relationship is undeniable.

in romans 12:3-8, paul warns us not to think too highly of ourselves as individuals because we were actually made for relationships.  “…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another (v. 5).”  when God gave each of us a “measure of faith” and a different “function,” He had this incredible picture of how the body of Christ would work.  through His grace, the actions of a group of people to further His kingdom are more effective, more compelling, and more productive than those of someone attempting to do it on their own.  God intended for us to interact, converse, play, work, eat, plan, and act TOGETHER.

what would it look like if we thought about individual talents and skills in light of a collective community?  what if we raised our children and ran our businesses by maximizing the potential of working together? or what if we lent a hand to our neighbor or coworker without expecting the favor to be returned?  i think we’d be surprised at the quality, power, and fruitfulness our everyday relationships would have if we thought of ourselves as a collective society rather than individuals.

jessie simonson is part of  31bits, an organization that empowers vulnerable individuals to rise above poverty through maximizing creative abilities and generating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Learn more about 31bits here.