Has it ever felt as if the only point of friendly contact you have with many of the members in your church comes through the brief greetings you share after a worship service? You nod hello, or take a moment to shake someone's hand, or smile and wave at the folks out front on your way to the parking lot.
All of that is important, of course. Yet when we consider the deep needs of a world that is so often polarized by its people's differences, we come to see that something more substantial than a superficial fellowship is required of our church life. The ignorance, prejudice, the uncaring apathy, and selfishness that divide humanity can really be challenged successfully only from a standpoint of spiritual unity. And the common ground of worshiping together in Christ becomes a powerful force for healing—for helping to mend the breaches that may exist right in our own communities and our own lives.
New Testament writers use the Greek word koinonia. It appears in many of the epistles and is often used to describe that special bond which existed among the faithful followers of Christ Jesus' teachings during those early years of the new Church. Koinonia refers to the close relationship, or fellowship, that was so vital to the first Christians. Facing such misunderstanding and persecution as they did, the early Christians required a solidarity that was deep-rooted in God. The success of their mission depended on it.
