Community and Fellowship: The Rule of Benedict: Life in Common

Benedict of Nursia designed his Rule not for solitary hermits but for communities of ordinary believers living together. He wrote: "We intend to establish a school for the Lord's service. In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome." The genius of Benedictine community is its realism -- it assumes that people are imperfect, easily discouraged, and prone to conflict, and it builds structures to sustain community despite these realities.

Benedict addresses practical matters: how to handle complaints, how to distribute work fairly, how to correct one another, how to welcome newcomers, how to care for the sick. He insists on stability -- the commitment to remain in one community even when things are difficult: "Prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may He bring us all together to everlasting life."

Practical application: Make a "stability commitment" to your current church or small group. Decide to remain for at least one year without leaving when difficulties arise. Benedict teaches that community is formed not by finding perfect companions but by persevering through imperfect relationships. Growth happens through friction, not in its absence.