A plane in the air and a storm at sea …
Anton and Sofia Johnsson, along with their three children—Ezra (5), Signe (3), and Amos (10 months)—were on their way from Sweden for Koinonia’s Come, Stay Awhile & Serve (CSAS) program. Hurricane Helene was churning toward landfall, and Koinonia was directly in its path. It was too late to turn the plane around. Would they be able to land in Atlanta? In what condition would they find Koinonia?
Then, at what seemed like the last possible moment, the storm turned East. Relief washed over us, but it quickly turned to horror as we watched Helene’s devastating path unfold. Vehicles, homes, businesses, roads—entire towns—washed away. I grew up on the Gulf Coast and have seen my share of hurricanes, but I had never seen one this powerful, carving destruction so far inland. At Koinonia, we were heartsick.
The Johnsson family arrived safely in Atlanta. Their flight was on time, though their rental car reservation had been mysteriously canceled. Compared to what we were watching—the devastation in Florida, other parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and beyond—getting them and their luggage the two-and-a-half hours South to Koinonia felt like a minor matter to handle.
As I have often witnessed in times of natural disasters, people become true neighbors. It doesn’t matter who they are—help is offered freely. To me, it is a glimpse into the goodness that lies at the core of every human being. Yes, greed will arrive—prices are raised, repairs are offered at inflated prices, and money is taken for repairs that are never made. But I’ve seen what lies at the core of the human heart. I have been a recipient of it. Is there something that can help us remain in that core longer?
At Koinonia, when people come for the CSAS program, we go through orientation—not just to introduce daily rhythms and guidelines but to share what the life here is about. Koinonia’s mission is simple yet challenging: to live as a community modeled after the Early Church. Acts 4:32 says, “Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…” That’s a high calling.
We are far from perfect, but one thing we strive to do well is take care of one another—and those who come to us, or whom we go to serve. A teaching from the Rule of Benedict sums it up well: “No one is to pursue what she judges better for herself, but instead, what she judges better for someone else.” It’s a hard teaching. Community is not about convenience or personal gain. It’s about showing up for one another, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable.
In a world so fragmented, it’s easy to fall into patterns that tear us apart—gossip, negativity, and murmuring. It’s all too easy to grumble, undermine, and sow doubt. Those behaviors destroy community. They never help. At Koinonia, we remain vigilant to guard against them taking root. When frustrations arise, when these behaviors arise—and they inevitably do— it’s our responsibility to address them directly rather than letting them fester. None of us is asked to be perfect, but we are asked to be aware. What kind of energy are we putting out there? How are we contributing to the life of the community, or how are we harming it?
And then there’s the Internet. It’s one thing to bring a small group living in a small community together to address misinformation, gossip, and rumors in person. But what do we do when these behaviors are amplified online? Whether by citizens who are hurting, frightened, and desperate, by those pretending to be citizens of the area, or even by elected officials, misinformation spreads far and wide at lightning speed. There are good uses for the Internet—and there are evil ones. Evil is a word I seldom use, but I cannot think of another word to describe this use of the Internet and the destruction such use is having.
When Anton, Sofia, and the children return home to Sweden, we will stay in touch through the Internet. But to those using this powerful tool to spread falsehoods and stir division: Stop. You are tearing apart the fabric of your community, and the damage extends far beyond. At Koinonia, we have methods to return to our values when we stray. But how do we get back on track when false information travels so quickly? The first step: Seek the truth from those who have it. Don’t spread what you have heard online. Verify it.
And to you who know what you are spreading is lies: Stop. People are hurting. Lies are not at your core. Let what is at your core lead the day.