Part I
Acts 2:42-47
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the peopleThat has always been one of my favorite Bible passages because I believe that it describes the epitome of the Christian life.
Christians are people who share everything they have, and live in common.
The reality of how the early Christians lived is difficult to determine because the political, economic, and social realities of the early Christians were so different than the realities of today. For example, land ownership did not have the same legal understanding as it does today. We don’t know if the early Christians is selling their property meant that they sold their houses, or if they even could. That isn’t explained in detail.
A good assumption from the description we have of the early Christian communal life is that they gave everything they could.
It is the first part of the equation of “living in community.”
Give what you can.
Part II
“And here I have planted a square foot garden” Sr. Joan tells me.
“A what?” I respond.
“You don’t know anything about gardening do you?” she ribs me.
Sr. Joan proceeds to tell me about the square foot gardening, a theory of gardening which was developed by Mel Bartholomew. He noticed that gardens were too difficult to cultivate and too difficult to maintain when they were large. Large gardens also produced too many fruits or vegetables at the same time, which often went to waste. His proposal was to build smaller gardens, in square plots that could easily be accessed for purposes of maintenance. The square plots could be planted in intervals, which would stagger the harvesting periods, and therefore provide a consistent ration of fruits and vegetables over longer periods of time.
His plan allows a gardener to only take what is needed.
The wisdom of Mel Bartholomew is a good representation of the second part of the equation of living in community.
Take only what you need.
Part III
Coming to Mexico, I’ve found myself staying at my fourth house of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. There is no reason for me to repeat all the good things that the Poor Handmaids represent. I have done that already, but it is an opportune time for me to talk about living in community.
The Poor Handmaids are excellent examples of Christians who live in community.
If you have downloaded Google Earth onto your computer, you can view a few of the pictures I took of the Poor Handmaid house in Mapachapa, Mexico by clicking here.
Living in community is a rather countercultural way to live, and to the close-minded capitalist, sounds a little like “Living in Communism.” There is one major difference between “living in Communism” and “living in community.” “Living in community” actually works.
The Poor Handmaids, and every religious group that I have lived with this year, including lay groups, like the one that I lived with last week, live by two implicit rules. Everyone gives what they can, and everyone takes what they need.
The first part requires a voluntary surrender of self. It is hard to determine exactly what that is going to be for each person, because there are practical issues that everyone must address individually. For some, the actual amount may be a greater, and for others less. There is no fault in the discrepancy, as long as there is an honest, voluntary sharing of one’s giftedness.
The second part requires both humility and trust. In regards to humility, to take only what I need, I must humbly discern what I really need. I must realize that when I take something, I am taking it away from others who might need it. In regards to trust, there must be a sense of trust developed among the community in my ability to judge what I need. I in turn, must trust the judgment of others.
It is easy to distance ourselves from the radical commitment of living in community by claiming that none of us posses the ability to live in such a way, but the truth is, we have all experienced this standard of living (at varying levels of success).
Living in community is really the same as living as a family.
Families survive by their members giving what they can, and taking what they need. If those two implicit rules are violated, the family system implodes. If the family champions these guidelines, the family succeeds.
Oops. Problem.
Radical call to follow the gospel about to hit blog number 343.
I constantly hear Christians giving all of this lip-service to the concept that we are the “Family of God.” Well if we are a family, then how well are we giving what we can? Forget that. I’d be happy if those who call themselves Christians only took what they needed. That would be a great start!
I know. I know. There are those out there who don’t buy into the whole “we are a family” thing. That’s fine. You don’t have to agree with me. You just have to promise me that you’ll never again say the “Our Father.”
Part IV
And its time for Final Jeapordy!
And the answer is, “This is what we are if we call God ‘Father.’”
(Insert theme song to Jeopardy here)
Times up.
How much did you wager?
Because the question is, “What is a family?”
Part V
The world is blessed with so many good things, and our contribution to it amplifies its magnificence. There are so many who do not have the ability to take what they need, or even receive what they need, while others have more than they need, and still others have more than they can possibly use. We’ve really violated the best of who we can be by ignoring the wisdom of the first Christians who lived in community.
Every day, I recognize that I have had an extraordinary privilege to be able to do this pilgrimage. Among the many things for which I am truly grateful is the ability to have stayed with so many religious communities. I sometimes have wondered if the communities were being nice to me, just because I am still a single male and a potential recruit, but I know that isn’t true in all cases. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ aren’t interested in recruiting me. There is a gender issue that prevents that from happening.
Even if someone is never called to make a pilgrimage, nor called to religious life, I would hope that more people could have a brief experience of living in community apart from their own family. Such communities serve as a model of wise living that changes a person’s perspective. It teaches an individual how much they have to give, and how little they really need to take. It teaches a tacit happiness that that comes from living as a family with each other, and with the world around us.