Life in Community: Made to Look and Be Looked Upon

“We all are born into the world looking for someone looking for us.”
This quote from author Curt Thompson resonates deeply with me—and maybe with you, too. It's a bold assertion, but one that taps into our fundamental desire for connection.

Consider these questions:

• In your earliest memories, what were your strongest desires?

• In your greatest successes, what did you long for?

• In your most tragic failures, what did you need?

• In your deepest relationships, what bound you together?

• In your present circumstances, what do you want most?

• In your future hopes, what will ultimately matter?

While our specific answers may vary, I believe there is one overarching theme: to look and to be looked upon.

As infants, wasn't our strongest desire to see and be seen by our mother? As toddlers, didn't we constantly call out, “Mommy, Daddy—watch this!”? When we succeeded, didn’t we long to see someone looking at us in recognition and celebration? In failure, didn’t we need someone who would still see us, accept us, and lift us up?

In our most meaningful relationships, isn't it mutual vulnerability—being fully known and fully loved—that binds us together? And today, don’t we want most to be truly known, cared for, and not alone? Looking to the future, doesn’t the idea of steadfast and unchanging love hold the most weight?

I believe the answer to all of these is “yes.” And if that's true, then Thompson's assertion holds: We are born looking for someone looking for us.
But why?

Why We Long for Community

As it is with all significant why questions, the why is found in the nature of God. In Matthew 3, we see the beauty of who God is:

• The Father, who speaks blessing and love.

• The Son, who is perfectly pleasing and who takes away the sin of the world.

• The Holy Spirit, who descends and remains with us.

God is triune—Father, Son, and Spirit. He is not just in community; He is community. A perfect, eternal relationship of mutual love and unity. Out of the overflow of that joy and communion, God created life. Without that divine community, life would not exist.

Genesis 1:26 tells us, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
We were made in the image of the triune God. That means we were created not just by God and for God, but from community and for community. This is why we crave being seen, known, and loved. It’s written into our very nature as image-bearers of the relational, communal God.

Just as the persons of the Trinity do not act independently, we too are designed for interdependence. We thrive only when we are connected—first to God, then to one another. Community isn’t optional; it’s essential. It's not just a support system or social activity. It is the space in which life—real, abundant life—is experienced.

Life and Life Abundantly

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
He wasn’t only offering us eternal salvation; He was offering us abundant, overflowing life now—life in communion with the triune God. Through Christ, we are re-created, brought into this divine fellowship.

But that’s not all.

Jesus also invites us into fellowship with one another. “To all who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” That means we are not only united to Him but also to every other believer. When we receive His life, we receive His people.

Neglecting this—failing to pursue or prioritize community—doesn't just mean missing out on “church” or “small groups.” It means missing out on life and life abundantly.

As you step into a new season, especially post-college, consider:

• Do I have time for life and life abundantly?

• Am I too tired to pursue it?

• Is listening to my fear better than experiencing it?

• Is the awkwardness of reaching out worth the reward of it?

• What am I willing to sacrifice to experience the life Jesus came to give?

A Call to Commit

You were created for community. Your life depends on community with God and His people. The most important decision you can make—now and moving forward—is this:

Commit to look for God and His people, and to be looked upon by God and His people.

Because it is there—in steadfast love, in the mutual giving and receiving, in the messy, beautiful, life-giving relationships of community—that you will find the abundant life you were made and re-made for.