Shortly after beginning work for Chevrolet, I received an e-mail from one of my college professors who reminded me of the old adage that “what’s good for General Motors is good for the country.” GM’s prosperity indicated a thriving national economy; it was also his way of encouraging my work.
The prophet Jeremiah has a similar message for the people of God in exile: What’s good for Babylon is good for Israel. Their welfare is bound up in the welfare of the place of their exile. Thus, God calls them to make Babylon a good place to live.
We still discover that our well-being is tied up in the well-being of others. God created us to need, give, serve, and desire—together, in community. Instinctively, we know that our steady connection to family, friends, and neighbors affects our well-being. And we affect the well-being of others when we are present in their moments of joy and need.
What often remains hidden to us, however, is our tie to the well-being of the invisible in our community. We are no less connected to the homeless person on the corner we drive past every day than we are to the person sitting in the pew next to us. Our link to the abandoned, the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten exists, but we have forgotten it. Seeking the welfare of the seen and the unseen in our communities offers unique challenges because we must reach outside the boundaries of our daily lives. Yet as the story of God’s people tells us, in seeking good for others we can live the good life ourselves.
How is God calling you to make your community a better place? Who or what could benefit from your attention?