Churches, businesses, charities — we work as independent silos. But that’s not what God wants us to do — it’s not what Jesus taught, and it’s not what Paul instructed. We are supposed to be united. That’s challenging with our American ideal of handling everything on our own, but God designed us to be different.
And if we’re honest: we don’t really trust each other. We worry somebody will take advantage of us. Our committees are set up to make sure we never get anything wrong — and that very caution turns each organization inward, looking at itself as an individual component instead of the bigger Kingdom.
Here’s the gracious truth: a lot of organizations don’t know what they don’t know. Everyone means well and tries their best. They want to see a difference — but either they don’t know how to make one, or they can’t yet see the benefit of the effort it takes. That’s not a failing. Most of us just need a little encouragement, and someone alongside to help us see.
None of this is an accusation — it’s habits, fears, and bylaws, most of them set up in a time of older technology and older systems. Today we have technology that can connect us instantly and give us what we need instantly. We just don’t always know where to look — or that we can look at all.