Perhaps the vision that Jesus has for his church:

People made community. A community without walls, made up of every type, color, race and culture. Real people, with flesh and blood, with ugly pasts, broken and imperfect, being transformed. A community where people without hope, without resources and without love can go and instead of being judged for their imperfections, flaws and sins, be loved. A place where those who have always been last, marginalized and rejected are served by those who have been first. Where those who have forgotten how to dream, learn again to have dreams. A home where those who have forgotten what it is to belong or have never had a father or a mother, learn again what it is to be part of a family.

A community of people who are learning to love God with all their heart, soul and strength. A community where people are committed to loving their neighbor more than themselves. A unselfish love, completely sacrificial.

A community that remembers the poor, and is willing to suffer and go without in order to help another. That doesn’t just use tithes and offerings for their personal projects, buildings or institutions, but rather to help those who are hungry, thirsty and don’t have a place to sleep or clothes to cover their nakedness, those who are sick, whether with AIDS or lung cancer, and those who find themselves in prison. And not only give of their money but of their homes, of their time and their love. People who lay down their lives at the feet of Christ and say, “Here is my life, do with it as you wish.”

A community of imperfect, forgiven sinners who despite their mistakes, forgive, 70 times 7. People who refuse to speak badly of another. People who fight for justice and lift up the oppressed, while always turning the other cheek. A community angered by injustice in their society and willing to fight for justice, even at the risk of losing it’s reputation.

A community of people that pray together. That seek after God, that long for his presence here on earth. That try to live like Jesus lived, imitating him in all that he did, always in contact with the rejected- prostitutes, beggars, homosexuals and immigrants. People who study his life together along with the rest of the Bible. People full of the Holy Spirit, living by Him in love, joy and peace, patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. Leaving behind the old person with all those old desires, crucified with Christ. People that become like Christ a little more each day, each day striving for holiness, and always covered by God’s immense grace. People willing to lay down pride and be vulnerable. People that understand that the reason they are there has nothing to do with personal merit and that they love only because He first loved them.

A community of people committed to living out Jesus’ love and everything else that he said to a broken world. Always beginning with the person next to them, be it a friend or an enemy, be it easy or hard.

A group of people willing to allow God to do all this in them. And then these people, this church, will shine like the sun amidst a cold, dark world and the glory of God will be seen through these imperfect, striving, broken yet whole, human beings, His church.