Introduce the word “Koinonia”
Ask if anyone can define it
Put up slide – in green
Koinonia
Used about 20 times in the Greek
BibleTranslated in the King James Bible as
Fellowship - 12 times
Communion - 4 times
So it is used a bit like Fellowship and Comminion
I think it is a bit like “Community” too
It is this idea of working together for the common good
Its Dictionary definition says “Christian fellowship or communion, with God or, more commonly, with fellow Christians”
+How can we use it?
It means thinking about others
It means following rules that are designed to make the community work better (eg – not running in the school corridors etc.)
+Why is it important?
Well it helps us to work together as a team
It creates less conflict and a more peaceful environment
+The African Nations have a word “unbuntu”
It means “I am – Because We are”
It comes from a story told by a journalist who had
Interviewed an anthropologist – someone who studies
Cultures and tribes
The Unbuntu story
A journalist explained how an anthropologist had been studying the habits and customs of a tribe. He always been surrounded by the children of the tribe, so to help pass the time before he left, he proposed a game for the children to play.
He’d bought lots of sweets in the city, so he put everything in a basket with a beautiful ribbon attached. He placed it under a solitary tree, and then he called the kids together. He drew a line on the ground and explained that they should wait behind the line for his signal. And that when he said “Go!” they should rush over to the basket, and the first to arrive there would win all the sweets.
When he said “Go!” they all unexpectedly held each other’s hands and ran off towards the tree as a group. Then they simply shared the candy with each other and happily ate it.
The anthropologist was very surprised. He asked them why they had all gone together, especially if the first one to arrive at the tree could have won everything in the basket – all the sweets.
A young girl simply replied: “How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”
The anthropologist was dumbfounded! For months and months he’d been studying the tribe, yet it was only now that he really understood their true essence…
+Zulu word
“I am – because we are”
“How can we be happy if the others are sad?”
Koinonia – working together for Peace
Knowledge – who you are, what you are, who is around you and what can you do for them
+This word Unbuntu is similar to Koinonia
in terms of the explanation of that little girl
“How can we be happy if the others are sad?”
How can we have Koinonia, fellowship, a feeling of
Community if we don’t work together?
It will help bring Peace to that community too
Africans have a thing called ubuntu. It is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go the extra mile for the sake of another.
Therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging.”
— Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu – one of the first black Archbishops in
South Africa, said this – read quote
He fought against Apartheid in SA – he knew what it
Was to NOT have Koinonia or fellowship with people
Let’s just take time to reflect on that now:
How can you help others to be part of this community?
How can you keep to the rules to create peace?
How can you think of making sure all are happy and
No one is left out or sad?