URC Daily Devotion 14 August 2025
Thursday 14th August
Church Related Community Work 4
Jeremiah 29: 4-7
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Reflection
Dorothy’s sentiment of, “there’s no place like home” in the Wizard of Oz, was one shared by the exiled Israelites in Babylon. Having had their hopes of a speedy return to their homeland dashed, here Jeremiah urged the Jews to build a future where they are – not just to survive and wait. They should flourish and contribute to the flourishing of their Babylonian captors. They had to contribute to the common good of their new society.
The Common Good can be defined as a society’s shared life where everyone can flourish. We act together in different ways that contribute towards that goal, enabled by social conditions allowing all to participate.
Whilst the concept of the Common Good comes from Catholic Social Teaching, it is a key part of the community development process set out in the covenant CRCWs sign when inducted to projects. We seek to work with churches and people to try and build flourishing communities where everyone feels like ‘it’s home’.
The Common Good is most effectively achieved working at a local level. Often it starts with taking an asset-based approach to community development, listening to people, and recognising the wealth of resources within individuals and communities. Approaches such as community organising can be used to support diverse groups to take action on common concerns and interests. Where it would be beneficial for communities to build relationships with institutions and statutory services, churches can often be well placed to start building those partnerships.
We all can, at times, feel like we don’t belong. We may not have lived in our current community all our lives but chosen to move there, or have been forced to move for work or a change of circumstances. We can be tempted to ‘other’ those around us – labelling them for their differences – and just seek our own survival. Better to seek ways to challenge dehumanizing forces and find ways to work together so that everyone can flourish.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we pray for the flourishing of our communities – spiritually, socially, and economically. Help us to find ways to work together with others in our communities – neighbours, faith groups, community groups, charities, and statutory services to build for the common good. Amen