Act 4:32
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
This line makes a lot of people uncomfortable. They go to a lot of trouble to explain it away (that was then, this is now). Others go off and start communes and do their best to live in community. In some cases, these communities are successful, but most are not. There has been a resurgence of interest in communal living through the growth of the emergent movement and the next generation of believers.
In any event, it is clear that in New Testament time, that time after Jesus’ resurrection, living and sharing and being of one heart and mind was the norm. This is what people wanted to do. I don’t believe it was mandated, it just happened. It evolved from that moment in their lives. The message of the time was simple: Jesus Christ, the son of God, died on the cross and was raised up. They expected him to return soon as well.
But, in the same way that Jesus was not the Messiah everyone expected, he didn’t return within anyone’s timeline either. At this point in the story, there were upwards to 5,000 believers. What did that look like? How did they really operate in one heart and mind? How did they really live “in community?”
Being in one heart and mind is not easy. There must be trust, sacrifice, compromise, flexibility, cooperation, and love. There must be a rallying point… something everyone can agree upon.
I think it’s our first priority in any relationship: find the parallel. Look for the sphere of agreement, the commonality before addressing any of the differences. With every relationship, there will always be at least one congruence. Let’s start there.
Shakespeare’s Shylock said it most ably:
I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die?
Perhaps the person is saying: I am a Muslim. I am an African. I am poor. I am gay. I am physically challenged. I am old. I am alone.
Today, I seek oneness in heart and mind.
When I was in college I met in the mornings with two guys: Chris Haw and Jonathan Hartgrove. The three of us prayed together and discussed scripture together. Both of them were very interested in the concept of living in community and were fascinated by my experience because I grew up living in community.
Both men live communally. Jonathan wrote a book called The New Monasticism and Chris coauthored a book with Shane Claiborn entitled Jesus for President.
I saw the dark side of community – the way it can demand you relinquish aspects of your independent identity (or your family’s identity) for the good of the group; how community can become the end in itself instead of Jesus being the end; how being driven from community can crush and confuse your children; how invasive people can be, and judgemental, and controlling.
I have never wanted to live communally, but I do want community and relationships. What would the disciples community look like today with social networking systems and so many people throughout the world who consider themselves christians? And what would the church look like if we honestly tried to meet the needs of the individuals in our churches?
If only the Christian life were easy.