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truly beloved, loyal and loving family members der very adverse conditions (Ostergren, 1983).
with Him in dealing with it. So, by having such Jews, with their history of experiences of anti-
knowledge we are equipped to participate with Semitism, will conceptualize themselves as an
God in His overcoming evil, which is a very im- “extended family” (Jewfaq, 2020), underscoring
portant secondary purpose of our lives, starting the shared kinship motif. This development of
with ourselves. But for this processing of suffe- bonded people when applied to Christian faith
ring to see its end, is purpose, the meaning only has been called “horizontal communion” (Lon-
arises in the context of dialectic with God, with genecker, 2008). Indeed, the early church shared
others, and a transition from a “me” to a “we.” this concept of peoplehood (1 Peter 1:1; 2:9-10)
or of being “fictive family (DeSilva, 2000a).
Me and we What seems highly significant about this fami-
Longer term growth and effective buffers to ly and peoplehood identity in the life of the bi-
stress and trauma require both vertical and blical community is that in it there appears to
horizontal communion experienced both im- be no loss of the importance of the individu-
mediately and long term. Stress and trauma al as it relates to the group (see Paul’s specific
management is the sense that: “In all of this I mention of individuals at the end of many of
am not alone.” In military combat operations his letters). At the same time, the communal
(in the US at least) a cardinal value is that they group can remain strong precisely because it
will not leave a member behind, a value consi- is not simply a collective, but a family, a nation
dered fundamental to effective combat opera- (1 Peter 2:9-10). This is because the values that
tions (AF 2005). Another example is my wife’s are being cherished are not the synthetic of a
labor and delivery of our children. Amongst all collective to meet goals but are authentic values
of the measures taken to support a good outco- crucial in providing for effective support in re-
me in that process, the most powerful thing she lationships needed to withstand stress because
needed was to feel my hand gripping hers, to they are based on principles of human being,
hear my voicing speaking to her in the delivery articulated throughout the scripture. Thus the
process, and to see my face, often right in the principles transcend the shifting collective wills
middle of her contractions. She needed to be and power dynamics of the group because they
aware of my presence even as her entire being are transcendent and organic, defining essential
was directed to delivering our child. aspects of being human, “truths,” and required
Under stress and duress we do much better to develop a sustained sense of being alive as
when there is a sense of others with which we a human. The words “Be fruitful and multip-
identify, in our minds comprising a “we,” to be ly,” the ten commands given at Sinai, “Love the
there with and for us. For instance, immediately Lord …, ” and “Love your neighbor …” as well
following the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, churches as other commands of scripture express basic
were filled the week of the event though one authentic values and each reflects some funda-
month later they were back down to normal le- mental principle of sovereignty to be respected
vels. While there was a sense of crisis, of stress, in human life. When these principles are reali-
then people needed one another and needed zed and shared in relationship they create a deep
a sense of presence of God. In the book “Tri- sense of “we,” simultaneously cultivating and
be” Sebastian Junger (2016) discusses this need affirming a more functional self while creating
for a connected group of people with which authentic communal relationships that cannot
we identify which makes stress and tribulation be manifested in the same way apart from these
something that we can actually thrive under. authentic principles.
Another example, settlement of the midwestern
United States occurred in settler groups co- Spiritual Dialectic
ming from specific regions in Europe and often As powerful and critical as bonding with others
settling in religious and ethnic groups, in tho- is, what becomes more critical is the vertical
se areas often recognized to this day, allowing communion with God. Willard’s (1998) concept
people to settle and thrive in a new country un- of the heavens expresses that spiritual reality, or

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