Koinonia: What Happens When You Need Greek to Unlock Your Word of the Year
It arrives as a bracelet, the word koinonia in cursive, connected on both sides to an adjustable chain. The silver feels light—like the word God nudged me toward for my 2026 word of the year.
When you’re turning over a word, but not fully convinced, look it up in Greek. Or Hebrew. Or Aramaic. Maybe there are more layers to unwind than in the English definition.
For koinonia, I find more nuance to the word participate, which pulled my attention when my friend Pamela sent me this from the Wholehearted Enneagram:
ENNEAGRAM 9
What you might be carrying:
The pressure to keep everyone calm, comfortable, and happy, even at your expense.
What God invites you to lay down:
The belief that your involvement might disrupt the peace.
Scripture:
“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts . . . Colossians 3:15
Receive this truth:
Your participation matters to God and to the people you love.
(Find the Instagram carousel HERE for encouragement for the rest of the Enneagram numbers!)
Of course my friend would send this post on a day the wrestle in my head was relentless. Get to work writing the book that’s been stirring in your heart, and every insecurity will surface. You’ll assume you’re more burden than blessing, and do the classic Enneagram 9 retreat inside yourself. You’ll seek relief from the tangle of untruths toying with your mind by withdrawing rather than engaging.
But God says that peace and participation are not exclusive. Inner peace isn’t found by making yourself small, but in showing up sincere and accessible–with God and with your people.
When Greek Unlocks Your Word of the Year
I held the word participate loosely for a while. Usually when I can’t get past a particular word it’s a clue God wants to grow me through it. And yet, it didn’t seem like quite the right fit for my word of the year. That’s when I looked it up in Greek. Here’s what I found:
Koinonia appears in 1 Corinthians 1:9, which in the NLT reads “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, synonyms of koinonia include “fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, contact.”
Per the AI overview, “Koinonia is a rich Greek word meaning fellowship, communion, partnership, or sharing in common, particularly referring to the deep spiritual bond and intimate community among believers in Jesus Christ and with God. It goes beyond mere acquaintance to imply active participation, mutual support, and a shared life, reflecting unity in faith and purpose, as seen in the early church’s devotion to teaching, prayer, and sharing.”
Though and through, this is a word about togetherness.
Koinonia is a heartfelt YES to immerse in genuine community—with God and other people. It’s cloaked in vulnerability and trust. It’s staying present and attentive. Jumping in, not staying on the fridges. And it pulls me in exactly the direction I want to lean.
Away from my doer tendency to put work ahead of people.
Away from my wrong assumptions that my presence doesn’t make a difference.
Away from automatic nos and insecurity.
Toward openness–like my first word of the year, open, which is still at work in me.
Toward trust–so I can trust God with what I need to set down in order to more fully show up.
Toward rest.
Toward relationships.
A Lighter Way to Live
The bracelet chain clinks gently against the desk over my walking pad as I write, like a light tapping on my soul. Koinonia carries a promise of sanctuary-like rest and relational depth. Closeness with God. Soul-connected friendships. More of what I hope to guide you towards with my words.
But before I could wear the bracelet, I had to ask for help.
“Buddy, could you please help me with something?” I asked as I joined my 9-year-old and the wiggly puppy on the couch.
“Sure, mom!”
He held one end of the bracelet in hands almost my size while I pinched the clasp open with my free hand. Working together, we finally got both ends connected.
Okay, Lord, I get it.
My stubborn insistence that I never need help is the opposite of koinonia.
Koinonia is a lighter way to live.
An easier way to breathe.
It takes the shape of rest–right in the middle of writing a book. Looks like a yes to relationship-building, which is wired in all of us, by God’s design.
Every time you link arms, share a burden, trust a friend with your confession, unite in prayer, accept help, or make space around your table, a little light gets in under your shell. Your got-to-keep it together begins to erode. Your self-defeating assumptions are deflated. Your insecurities are dethroned.
But koinonia with God is where it begins. There’s no sweeter fellowship than with God’s son. No conversation more life-transforming than with the Word of God. No bond more true than you can have between God and you.
When we participate with God in the work He wants to do in and through us, our very souls are awake. The depth of our relationship with God spills over into our other relationships. We find purpose for our own lives as we engage with God’s missional heart in loving the people right in front of us.
A Prayer for Koinonia
This year will be a full year, but full years can feel light when we’re not bent on holding everything on our own. My prayer for both of us is this:
May we step lightly into 2026, not alone, but deeply connected to God and community.
May we carry a “Yes, Lord!” in our hearts, no matter where it leads us.
May we be wise with our time and prayerful about our decisions.
May we let the light in, baby step by baby step.
In the dear name of our Lord, I pray. Amen.
Just a friend over here in your corner,
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