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The microcosm where we experience the Kingdom of God
The Community is the place where those who have chosen to journey with Jesus can experience a reality that comes from above. It is like a big family in which each person can grow and flourish both in their relationship with God and in their relationships with each other.
When a person turns to Jesus Christ and chooses to hand over the direction of his or her life entirely to him, they become what is known as a 'disciple'. God invites them to join the people who live according to his principles, the Church. This new 'nation' is represented by a myriad of local communities that are distinguished from each other according to geographical and/or socio-cultural criteria.
The gathering of Jesus' followers
The Community is not only made up of Jesus’ disciples. It also welcomes any individual in search of meaning, whether believers or not. It is the gathering of followers, of those who 'follow' Jesus out of curiosity or conviction. The Community is a wide open and participatory space that offers everyone a voice and a role to play.
The manifestation of true Love
Just before going through the ultimate trial that would reveal him as the only way to reconcile God and man, Jesus invited his closest friends to experience unity in his love: "Be perfectly one, so that the world may know that God has sent me" (John 17:23).
The Christian community is not only the ideal setting for the individual and collective development of Jesus’ followers. It is the starting point for a movement of disciples who together dare to leave the safety of their church to live 'without walls' among their fellow man and do good for those around them.
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