34There was not a needy person among them,.....

 Well Easter is once again a celebration left at the doors of the Church.  And it seems everyday living is back to business as usual.  

And Monday arrived with schedules to keep, work to be done and, another soccer game to watch my Grandson do what he loves best and a second vaccination to be had.  

Just an ordinary day to live!

Then I sat down with my coffee and opened scripture to the readings for the Second Sunday of Easter.  

I was stunned by these amazingly gracious  words: 

32 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. ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There 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. ³⁵They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). ³⁷He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.(Acts. 4)

Then:

¹ How very good and pleasant it is

   when kindred live together in unity! 

² It is like the precious oil on the head,

   running down upon the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

   running down over the collar of his robes. 

³ It is like the dew of Hermon,

   which falls on the mountains of Zion.

For there the Lord ordained his blessing,

   life for evermore.(Psalm 133)

I sat very quiet, slowly wondering if that kind of community life really ever existed.

Yes,  I believe it did.   What a wonder,  what an extraordinary truth.

32 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.

That is a living sermon to the whole world.

It reminds me of Saint Francis of Assisi, a favorite saint of mine, living and modeling this Jesus’ kind of living.  

         

 “The deeds you do may be the only sermon persons will hear today.”

And his power little song: 

“Lord make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love…..Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love,….for it is giving that we receive.” 

And so again on this average day I am sitting here in awe of what could be; in an otherwise consumer driven world call real life.

And I wonder if such loving, giving and total sharing can ever be again. 

 

Because, sad to say, it is clear that we do not find it in the Christian community of today. 

Okay, okay, lets face it.   This small window into a particular  Christian community is most certainly an idealistic one.

I like idealistic by the way.  

And nice is really good too.

We all know that in that cultural world there were the Herods and Judas.  There certainly were the power hungry, materialistic persons for sure.

This little group of Christians were in the first generation of those who learn to follow Jesus.  What it meant to  followed Jesus’ request not to get involved with establishment  of greed and power over.

This passage from Acts is an example of what true discipleship is meant to be.  The theological values that are practiced are clearly of purpose, mission and core values of Jesus teachings.  

There is no denying that truth.

The Church today has a great need to recapture this example of unity, grace and witness to what Jesus came to bring to a misguided world.