“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
Romans 15:5-7
On the morning of August 23, I pulled into the Fourth parking lot and nervously walked into the front entrance, anticipating meeting the other fellows for the first time. After some initial introductions, we all sat down and shared an aspect of the program that we were most excited about. “Community” was every fellow’s answer. In the first 20 minutes of knowing each other, we quickly found a common desire: we all long for a Christ-centered community.
In my first three weeks here at Fourth and in the Fellows Program, God has already graciously gifted each of us with the community we deeply desired. In just three weeks, I have found deep friendships with people from all across the country, with a wide range of interests, passions, and completely different personalities. There is a uniqueness and rarity to these bonds. If you had asked me in the first three weeks of my college freshman year, I would have told you that I had found my best friends in my classes, only for them to drift away at the end of the semester once the shared experience of the class no longer held us together. But here in the Fellows Program, I have been plugged into a Christian community that is not founded on shared experiences but rather on a shared faith in Christ. While the Fellows Program has certainly brought us together, it is Christ who unifies us.
During the opening retreat, we all had the opportunity to share our testimonies. Our understanding of our eternal brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ laid the foundation for us to share even the most vulnerable parts of our stories. In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, he emphasizes the foundations of a healthy Christian community, writing, “What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ. Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us” (25). By hearing each other’s testimonies, we were not only able to rejoice together in what God has already redeemed and accomplished but also gain a deeper understanding of who Christ is.
In hearing each other’s testimonies, we also learn as a community how to pray for one another. Dietrich Bonhoeffer emphasizes the essential nature of intercession and prayer in Christian community, writing, “A Christian fellowship loves and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me… To make intercession means to grant our brother the same right that we have received, namely, to stand before Christ and share in His mercy” (86). Prayer draws us closer to God, and as we intercede for one another, we begin to see each other the way Christ sees us. From that perspective, there is no room for judgment or hatred, laying a foundation for a Christ-centered friendship.
By knowing each other through what Christ has done for all of us and through constant intercession for one another, we meet each other through the mediation of Jesus Christ.
This unity in Christ and depth in relationships through Him is not exclusive to the Fellows but extends to all Christian communities. I have witnessed this same deep love for our brothers and sisters in Christ in every corner of Fourth. I have seen it in the radical generosity of the host families opening their homes and welcoming us into their families. I have seen it in the exchanges of laughter and hugs in the Commons between services. I have seen it in the members who volunteer their time to teach and mentor the youth, sing in the choir, or pray devoutly for the congregation and for people around the world. Being part of such a robust and vibrant community with brothers and sisters in Christ is a gift of a lifetime and a small taste of what awaits us all in Heaven.
About the Author
Caroline Stole is a member of the Fourth Fellows Class of 2024-2025. She is from Baltimore, Maryland, and is a graduate of Amherst College. This year, she is working at IntimMedicine in Washington, D.C.
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