I Miss . . . School??

So I went back up to LA a few days ago and guess what?? No incidents!! PTL!! My ticket wouldn't print off the computer at all, but that was an easy fix and at least the train didn't hide from me this time.

I spent last Monday and Tuesday crashing on my friend's couch in West Hollywood. She's taking part of a "study abroad" program that Christian colleges and universities put together for students interested in film. And as she isn't returning to Asbury in the spring, I jumped at the opportunity to visit her for a couple days. I was expecting to just hang out and see some of the touristy parts of Hollywood. What I didn't expect was the thing I have missed most about Asbury . . . Community.

It's a favorite word around my college campus, what they cram into our craniums until it's bursting out our ears. What's crazy though is that "Community" as a noun is hard to define. "community" as an adjective is easy. It's where you find lots of people. community swimming pool, community center, community park, community Wal-Mart. But after leaving and been gone for seven months from that environment, I'm beginning to realize how special real "Community" is.

It began when my friend and I walked into her apartment after our drive up from San Diego. There were guys and girls (in the same apartment!! after 10 p.m.!!) going nuts whilst playing Rock Band. Screaming, bashing drums, laughing, and a head massager was involved, but we won't get into that. Everyone was inviting and talkative and I immediately felt like I fit.

On Monday, we stopped by her classroom to take a look at the film she was working on. Let me tell you, it felt SOO GOOD to be back in an editing suite. I wasn't even doing anything, but the atmosphere of sitting in a dark room, surrounded by 10 other people, watching a small screen, was fantastic. And again, the other students in her group were super nice, asking for my opinion and including me in conversation. I don't even go there. I won't probably ever see these people again in my life. But they still welcomed me in. This happened again the following night. Different people, same friendliness.

They shared their bathroom, their chairs, their cereal, their creative ideas, their blankets, and their hugs. And that's what real Community is. Giving to others, strangers, because you genuinely care about them.



P.S. The morning after I got back, this is what I had to read for my devotionals. Coincidence?? I think not.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. - Acts 4:32