To belong is to find ourselves in a right situation, to be connected or bound by allegiance or dependence, to be a part of the function of another.
From the very beginning of time, God created all of us for the purpose of belonging. As humans, we were created as communal beings whose nature is to be in relationship with God and with one another. In fact, our communal nature stems from the communal nature of our Creator God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3

From the very beginning of Scripture, the communal nature of God is revealed as we hear that God, the Three-in-One, created the heavens and the earth and everything therein. The Father created through the Son—the Spoken Word—as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters breathing into all of creation the breath of life..... (Chapter One continues with the following sections)

Our Struggle With Community
Thus it was that the communal God designed creation to be in relationship and fellowship with God and with one another. However, God also knew that that we would struggle to remain in these relationships, so God established healthy boundaries. ....

Our Struggle with the Boundaries
Through God’s law, or Torah, God provided for us the boundaries within which we could remain in healthy fellowship. God’s law was the divine instruction of how we were to live a holy and happy life in relationship with God and one another. When asked by a teacher of religious law which part of the law was most important, Jesus went straight to the heart of the matter when he said:....

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