“5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Final Instructions 12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.” (1 Cor 15:5-18 ESV)

The community has an umbrella, the community has a parachute; there are many things that help to keep the community strong. Because our fraternity, our sorority, is a little more native or happenstance than one thinks: a few personalities, some share facet of thought called Prayer, and Everyone, be it a dozen or twelve dozen dozens strong, is Prime for the hour, to Decide, to Enact, to Mold what is malleable.

Yet they would attack our entire justification of being, if they could: crazy inimical spirits who cannot overcome the prideful claim to have seen far and seen within in some weird one-off encounter: I saw first hand such-and-so, and believe me you: something’s wrong with our country if they are in Any position of decision or small authority.

Therefore to be beleaguered, it immediately coaches the generous or malleable soul to take the Blame, except time comes we cannot Take the Blame. We instead must appeal to God who gives us trials no worse than what He knows we can bear up under. He gives us a winning ticket, to Coach and to Teach. So the community, the Legendary or Mystical community, long on Lore and short on measly outlay, long on Getting Things Done ‘Round Here and short on mealy-mouthed self-justifications or begging: it is a community called Faith that ricochets in the thought-sphere with wild and audacious Truth Claims. Called Project-Oriented. Called Mission-Central. Called Operation-Mechanics. We do Operations. We do Mission. We do Projects. And with no sweat off the brow of Lady Liberty or Uncle Sam, who Understand that first impressions can go south right at once, go unkempt and tragic at once, go Furtive in the moment.

Everyone is Asked, therefore, what their Conscience declares: is this a season ripe for my Accomplished, Project-Oriented, Team-Based involvement with community Sharp? With community Faith? With community Intel? With community Local-Authority? We love on the local jurisprudence, alongside having a commander in Chief, as Faith-Citizens our Chief is a servant-leader, a Saint, a Christ who once Rose up mightily from talons of death that could not hold Him. To this Claim we hold fast, and hold true, even and especially if it gives Pause to the enemy around careless expenditure of Human Life. Ours will be a Tomorrow Victory. Ours will be a Resurrection City. Ours will be a Spirit Alive even as the body is frail.

To the community, then, we judge no one but simply adhere to our Team-Based, Social-Club aspects, our Taking One for the Team or greeting in the streets with largesse and Hope. It isn’t that we “Declared war” on so and such, only that we have a guild and a teamwork ‘Round Here. And if the entire kit and caboodle is to be tossed out and called rancid meat because of any One of “Us”, then something is dreadfully wrong with our community that allows it! More local authority! More Fraternity, Sorority! More Parental Guild that raises children in sooth, in multi-family homes! More dreadful acquaintance with the law of the land only going as far as it can in good reason: we need Social Strength and Friendly Demeanor, because no “Rules” are going to keep the ship afloat.

And to those who feel left out, to those who say it is unfair—and this before a judge, probably non-believing or at least a judge who hasn’t shared the “Experience” of Christ—to these we acknowledge Nothing, even not acknowledging their prowess or factual ability to go ruinous and destructive. When destroyed we Rise Up. When ruined we Resurrect. When hastily rushed to the front lines, we say with manly and feminine Courage, there I go and all that not alone: Christ is with me.

To the helter-skelter soldier in prep, who signs on the dotted line knowing it will be a crazy jaunt on the front lines, that may cost him or her their lives: to these we only Salute, because they had some—shall we call it ennui—some Desire to live life to the fullest, vaguely servant-minded, vaguely aware of the widows and orphans, vaguely aware of the Protestors shut down, but not claiming such High Principle, only loving Excitement and Incorporation… where and with whom to be decided by our Masters… loving Incorporation into some Team and Guild.