The Essence of Community - Pt. 3

When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:1-7 ESV).

 

At its foundation, the community of God’s people is intergenerational. Young people learn from older generations, and older generations learn from children and youth. We are good at talking about today’s youth being the “church of tomorrow,” but the truth is that they are every bit the church of today as well. Though our reading today is from the Old Testament, it is clear that God wanted Israel to be able to learn from previous generations, so he told them to pile up twelve stones after crossing the Jordan River. Whenever a younger person asked what those stones meant, someone could tell them who God is and what he had done for them. What a perfect picture of intergenerational learning. Jesus also taught God’s people that they needed to be like little children, trusting in God and realizing their dependence on him (cf. Luke 18:16-17). We can learn from children just as they can learn from adults.

 

I have such vivid memories of the Sunday afternoons spent with my father-in-law after going to Sunday School with Mary and worship with her family. Long before I became a believer he would take the time to patiently answer all my questions sitting with me in the formal living room and opening the family Bible to show me the answers from Scripture. It led to a love and practice of being both a student of others and a teacher of some. I was so fortunate to have him and three incredible pastors as mentors in my formative years of preparation for the ministry. I only hope that the time I spent later repeating that example with young men was as productive. The community of faith must be committed to teaching and learning from others intergenerationally.