Growing up in the 21st century was a dance between progress and loneliness. Certainly, when used wisely, there are perks like technology. It has connected us globally, opened the door to endless information and created new opportunities. But one of the most heartbreaking drawbacks is the quiet fade of the community as more people leaned on independence and individualism.
I was fascinated by the nature of bees and ants.
Recently I have been fascinated by the nature of bees and ants. This means that you will never survive in such a state of isolation.
As the last born of four children, I was often cast as a maiden of small work. I was terrified to hear my name called from a far corner of the house. That usually meant someone was working for me. And then, “When will this end?”
Now in my late 20s, I’m happy to report… not. No, I’m not ironic. I’m so grateful that I didn’t do that. This is the reason.
In mid-April (2025), my sister Esther called to tell me that our mother was in the hospital. She was feeling dizzy and experiencing heart motion pits. It was around 6pm, but I went outside and did the laundry. I told her that I would be in the hospital a few minutes later.
When I arrived, my mother was alone, sad and tired. But as soon as she saw me, her face began to lighten. I brought her hot chocolate and chicken pie and guessed (rightly) that she hadn’t had lunch. Esther then arrived and went back and forth between the hospital counters together, paying for the tests and sorting things out in the lab.
My dad called. We kindly asked him not to come. He had just had a heart attack in January and we didn’t want him to drive at night. Instead, he called Uncle Charles, who lives nearby. Uncle Charles appeared soon and suggested that we all go to his place for dinner while waiting for the test results. It was now 9pm
The power of the community.
Something beautiful happened in his house. His family warmth, chatter and laughter, their presence – everything wrapped in my mother like a quilt. She’s softened. She smiled. She chatted again.
Seeing her leave the house, I realized she was being burdened, but she left the writer. That was the power of the community.
It reminded me of how bees survive the coldest season. In a giant bee hug. As temperatures drop and food becomes rare, workers’ bees (skilled women) gather firmly around the queens and young honeybees, forming protective clusters.
During this time, the Queen will stop laying eggs, saving the limited food supply of the Hive. The worker bees press closely, vibrating the flying muscles and facing inwards, allowing the central bee to eat the stored honey. The collective heat they produce is enough to keep the entire colony warm until winter.
God never meant we would face life alone.
That night I saw that human version. My family gathered around my mother and became lively until she was warmed up again. Like bees, God never meant we would face life alone.
We were created with the need for deep, undeniable connections designed to thrive in the relationships that carry us through the highs and lows of life. No matter the state of your relationship, no matter where you live, your heart was created for the community.
We all belong to each other.
Romans 12:4–5 says:
Just as there are many parts in our body, and each part has a special function, it is with the body of Christ. We are many parts of one body and we all belong to each other.
That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way when I moved out of my parents’ house. I was excited to experience independence for the first time and decided to do it all myself. Something interesting? I didn’t last for a week. My brother Roy had to hammer nails into the wall and put all the light bulbs in place. I was too short to reach them!
And while my silence in my small places was sometimes peaceful, at other times I felt like something was missing. No one called my name and asked for any help. Being a service to others has become part of my core existence.
Eventually, those quiet moments were once again filled with calls from home asking how their new gadgets work, plans for their next family lunch, or how to coordinate someone’s birthday. A Bible Study Sleeping Out with my friends has become one of my favorite nights of the month. And honestly? I think I learned that sometimes a community is coming up and being close when it matters most.
Originally published by Rocha International. It was reissued with permission.
Sylvia Muia is the communications coordinator at Rocha International. Based in the bustling city of Nairobi, Sylvia connects Rosha with the world through creative writing and social media posts. Sylvia is a trained journalist with a degree in corporate communications and management. Sometimes, if she’s not keeping up with her favorite show, she can knit, paint, or bake cottage pie.
Rosha is a global family of families who live God’s calling to care for creation and work together to do it in the same way to others. Rocha means “rock” in Portuguese, and the initiative exists in more than 20 countries around the world. They will implement community-based conservation projects and provide a missionary response to the global crisis of biodiversity loss, with the aim of protecting the environment through local community-based conservation, scientific research and environmental education.
