day no. 16,707: a civilization of communities

"The Huguenots operated as an oppressed nation within a nation... They would identify with us and tell us a few things. They would tell us, first of all, to sing. They used to sing going down the streets, undoubtedly singing psalms of God's glory and protection. They would also tell us to make the best wine and become the best artisans and statesmen in the land. They would recommend we move close together because they realized too late they lived too far apart. They would tell us to focus on purity of worship, and they would tell us not to create community, but rather to create civilization." — Raymond Simmons, The Confessional County

The modern evangelical church knows enough to know that it should foster community. It differs, of course, on how best to go about promoting community, but it typically doesn't fail to recognize the need to do something about it. That said, most go about as far as small groups or Sunday School, but few go much further.

But Christ did not send us out to simply set up good looking ghettos. He commanded us to disciple the nations, to immerse them in the things of God, to baptize them in the Triune Name, and to teach them to obey everything that He commands. And He has promised to be with us when we do that.

Community is great, but civilization is better. Civilizations are, of course, composed of smaller communities, so we cannot ignore localities. In order to have a civilization, however, its local communities need more than mere internal harmony, they need a source of external unity with other communities not local to their own. This unites tribes into nations and nations into Christendom. They must take care of needs in their respective households of faith, but they must foster a catholic interest in other households.

The scope of Christendom is global civilization, not just local community. It is more than mid-week connection groups, it is complete colonization. Christianity can and should be exported. Christendom is, after all, a matter of world conquest. How much of the earth is the Lord's after all? All of it. How many of the people who dwell therein are His? All of them. To ask the question is to answer it. The answer the question is to inform our aim.

Acts 17:30

God commands all people everywhere to repent.