Outsiders and Insiders of God’s Chosen People
Outsider According to Mental Health Foundation, New Zealand has the highest youth suicidal rates in the world. Two reasons that people commit suicide are hopelessness and loneliness. A couple of years ago, I wanted to commit suicide or quit everything I worked for and towards. I will not tell the details, but I can reveal that this was the worst feeling ever! Insider Nonetheless, I found the actual value of community through the love of God. I could not give everything up because of my identity. I have been known as the one who perseveres and finds joy in everything. These characteristics influence other people around me. As people find who they are and their purpose through communities, much of my identity is shaped around the famous Māori proverb: “He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!” The English translation of this is “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people!” Before exploring what Christian communities mean ...