For people to encounter Christ in the Body of Christ, they must believe that he is indeed present. Otherwise they will come and see a community that may meet some of their expectations but will inevitably fail to meet others leading to disillusionment. No human community, including the church, can ever meet our projections of what we think the community should offer us.
Our idealization of community is too self-centered and dependent upon the fluidity of our emotions. At one moment I want the people in the community to be close and supportive but in the next moment I want them to give me space. Sometimes I need the structure of their expectations and other times I want them to accept my rebellion. It is in this fickle community, which never achieves our idea of perfection, where Christ encounters us. That encounter is only possible if we expect Christ to be present. Otherwise we will focus on our expectations and neglect to listen for what Christ is saying to us in this very human experience.
