Thursday April 16, 2009

The Sharing of Goods

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common...There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:32,34-35

The Book of Acts recounts the beginnings of the Christian Church in the years after Jesus' resurrection. Jesus' followers, including the disciples, are doing their best to live in community as Jesus taught them. One of the hallmarks of the early Christian community was the sharing of goods. The notes in my annotated NRSV Bible say that this practice only happened in the Christian communities in Jerusalem and perhaps in the Essene communities outside the city. Presumably, this means that all of the communities that Paul visited--Corinth, Rome, Ephesus, etc--did not practice the common sharing of goods. I wonder how long this practice lasted in the early church. Two scenes come to mind.

First, this passage reminded me of a scene that is fresh in our minds from Holy Week. When Mary anoints Jesus' feet with the pure ointment of nard, there is dissension. Judas is upset for using a possession of the community which could be sold and the money given to the poor. Perhaps other disciples in that room in Bethany that night were upset. Even before Jesus' death, there was consternation about how to have enough for all (remember the feeding of the five thousand?) as well as when to use what for whom.

Playing alongside this scene is a scene from today's headlines---the TEA parties. All over the country yesterday, folks gathered to register their disapproval for our tax system. As I looked over the crowds that gathered, I wondered: were there any people in the crowd that were without shelter or food or health care that day? What about the very least among us as a nation? Part of our role as Christians is to look after the least of these. How do we care for the least of these in our American cities and rural areas? How do we raise the money and distribute to those who are in need?

The idea of pooling resources is often touted as a socialist system. How do human beings care for each other with our limited resources? Not just in our own country, but throughout the world? Jesus' example and the early church's example cause us to take a step back and wonder just how revolutionary Jesus' message is.

How do reconcile the early church's rule of life--the sharing of goods in common--with your life today?