DAY THIRTY-ONE – Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Acts 4:32-37 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. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
The people were of one heart and soul. What a powerful vision of working and being together.
The idea of no one claiming private ownership and sharing everything in common, made me think of the beliefs of indigenous peoples in Canada. A previous parishioner of ours taught up north and her students were predominantly indigenous. She was dismayed to notice that during the first test she gave her class, many students were cheating off of one another. After admonishing her class, a young boy stood up and spoke. “Ma’am, why wouldn’t we help one another. We are all in this together.” This is an interesting challenge to the rugged individualism we often experience in mainstream North American culture. The idea of the self-made man seems to fly in the face of the earliest of Christian communities. Later in the New Testament, the apostle Paul discovers some members of the church are taking advantage and not doing their fair share (2 Thessalonians 3:6) Christian community works best when all are of one heart and soul. This is hard work! It takes a lot of listening and a lot of love.
Elaine Hall
Acts 4:32-37 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. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
The people were of one heart and soul. What a powerful vision of working and being together.
The idea of no one claiming private ownership and sharing everything in common, made me think of the beliefs of indigenous peoples in Canada. A previous parishioner of ours taught up north and her students were predominantly indigenous. She was dismayed to notice that during the first test she gave her class, many students were cheating off of one another. After admonishing her class, a young boy stood up and spoke. “Ma’am, why wouldn’t we help one another. We are all in this together.” This is an interesting challenge to the rugged individualism we often experience in mainstream North American culture. The idea of the self-made man seems to fly in the face of the earliest of Christian communities. Later in the New Testament, the apostle Paul discovers some members of the church are taking advantage and not doing their fair share (2 Thessalonians 3:6) Christian community works best when all are of one heart and soul. This is hard work! It takes a lot of listening and a lot of love.
Elaine Hall
