Recent studies have begun to explore the apparent decline in participation in communal activities over the past twenty-five years. Theorists have proposed this decline is the result of greater cultural mobility, increased work hours, and greater societal fragmentation pertaining to values.   Yet, there are evident groups in our society. These groups, however, tend to be based not on communal activity, but on common theoretical ideologies.  

Many secular groups spend most of their time showing the virtue of their views and how these views are the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. However, if you ever get them talking about religious groups, the conversation quickly turns bitter as they think faith and religions tend either to be bad for people or merely a crutch. They then, therefore, end up demeaning and ridiculing religious people.  

On the other hand, religious groups tend to “tribalize” and retreat within their own sub-culture. They create their own dialect and language to know who is in the group and generally look down on anyone who is not in their religious group. To really create a tribal group they surround themselves with only people who think and act like them. This builds up their group, but at the exclusion of interacting with others.  

What then would it look like to have real communal living? What does it take to create community amidst all this business and transience? How can distinct communities exist without demonizing the other?

Scripture answers this question in Matthew 5:1-6. In this passage, Jesus provides the blueprint for a radically different kind of community. First, Jesus presents a list of the blessed—poor in spirit, those who more, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Here we are challenged with a list of people very unlike those who make up our core communities. Community, therefore, is the opposite of what we would normally seek. It is inverted—the upside down kingdom. Anyone and everyone can be in this community. Secular success, physical beauty, material resources—these are not prerequisites to become a member of this community.  

This radical community, however, is not merely supposed to exist as a closed community. Verses 13-15 reveal that this community is supposed to be salt and light. Most people think of salt and say, “I get it, this new community is supposed to spice up life, add some flavor.” Actually, this was written two thousand years ago when salt was too valuable to be used only as seasoning. Before refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food. That means Christians are suppose to go into the world to preserve it—to care for it. That is very different than creating tribal groups that huddle together and say away from others. Salt of course dissolves into the food. To infiltrate the meat it has to dissolve and spread, but not lose its saltiness. Therefore, the call to be salt means to go out into the world, to die to yourself, to dissolve, but to maintain your distinctive character. 

These communities are also called to be light. Light of course shines forth, it reveals what is around it, it warms. This image speaks of a community that is caring and involved in the lives of those around them in a way that is productive and helpful to others. This kind of community is truth-revealing in its practice.  

It is important to remember that the crowd Jesus was addressing would have consisted of Jews, including Pharisees. This crowd would have assumed that Jesus was praising the Pharisees; however, Jesus is instead calling into question the motives for seeking to be part of a community like this. Community like this should form not because of moral or religious rightness, but instead should form out of a true understanding of what Jesus did on the cross and the kind of community his sacrifice allows. In verse 12, Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven.” That means rejoice in suffering and rejoice in persecution because your hope is heavenly. Notice Jesus does not say your reward WILL BE, he says your reward IS. The Pharisees and generally religious people do what they do because they are trying to earn their place. Jesus you have it all wrong. Your place in heaven is already there because of the work I did for you on the cross. This means that the way you act now is for completely different reasons. You are meek because you did not earn your place; it was given to you. You are merciful because God himself was merciful to you. 

It all comes down to motivation? What motivates your heart? Religious people do the right thing, not out of a love and joy of relationships with the Father, but to use God to gain status, approval, and superiority. Religious people then use God to serve themselves. A Christian says my reward is already mine because he adopted me by grace. Now that I am his child, I live differently. This understanding would lead to radical community—a community of people who are meek and merciful, who are peacemakers, and who know what they believe, but are salt and light to others.