Sharing

Sharing.

It is a concept taught to young children. It is an idea that we equate with simple kindness. Some folks like to go to restaurants and share whatever is ordered to enjoy all kinds of different food. Some folks share cars, making do with one less vehicle to save money. Some folks share vacation spots, splitting ownership into segments of days, weeks, or months. The key to good sharing is being sure everyone gets the access they want to what is shared. When sharing, we try to meet the needs of everyone involved. It can go wrong when the balance goes away. Then there is conflict.

As Luke wrote his description of the community of Christ, he made sure that sharing was seen as foundational. As the day of Pentecost drew to a close, Luke reports that the community formed and everyone had all things in common--everyone had enough, everyone share what they had (cf. Acts 2). He also wrote of a grievous moment when someone held back (Acts 5:1-11)--Annais and Sapphira decided not to share what they had with the community, and DIED! 

Maybe that should serve as a Stewardship season theme--give or die!

Somehow I think instead of filling the coffers, that would more likely empty the pews.

Luke’s point is that any community following Jesus will be marked by self-emptying, sacrificially giving so that all might have enough, modeling through their stewardship the love revealed in Christ. Even at the utterly material level of funds, the love of Christ will reign.

Luke also recalled a parable of Christ that only he reported--the Good Samaritan. One of the themes of this story is sharing. As the Samaritan responds in love to the wounded man, he shares what he has--care, comfort, beast, ointments, money for lodging, and all else. The fact that he is a Samaritan served to remind the inner circle of Jesus that ANYONE is capable of embodying God’s love--membership in the community of faith is not membership in an exclusive love group, rather it simply makes the responsibility to love inescapable--the faithful have no excuse for not embodying love, for they know the story; what is truly miraculous is that love springs even from folks with no inkling. The community, then, is to welcome them into the story, sharing the story to inform their free action, adding the awareness of God’s presence to the good they do. 

So, sharing is important.

It is also liberating.

Having a lot of stuff can bring fear, insecurity, and isolation. The more we have, the more we feel the need to protect what we have. Hence, alarm systems. 

Sharing helps. 

The flip side of ownership is being owned. The more we have, the more what we have can own us. We find ourselves serving our stuff instead of the other way around. Sharing frees us from that upside down way of being. A child learns this lesson with toys. A child has a toy. Anyone who gets near gets screamed at--”MINE!” What can happen is an escalation--the owner keeps getting challenged by someone who also wants to play with that toy. There may well be tantrums, tiny fisticuffs, and tears, followed by a time out. Sharing keeps any of that from happening. 

It also keeps us from the conundrum Lucy found herself in with Linus. Linus wanted to color, but Lucy barged in, declaring, “Those are MY crayons and color books!” So Linus went to watch TV. Lucy barged in, “I wanna watch MY program!” and forcibly changed the channel. Linus went outside to look at the stars. Lucy tried to barge in, “You can’t look at those stars, they’re MY...” But then she stopped. Her ownership ended.

Now, what Lucy discovered about the stars, we should recognize about most everything. All things can be shared. As all things are shared, there can be peace, and we can find peace within ourselves, not owned, but freed to give, to love, and to find our way.

As a community of Christ, our way is his way of love. In his love, there is freedom because all we have becomes a means by which to love others as we love ourselves, loving God in the process. Through sharing, we discover a real and present joy. Opening ourselves to others through sharing brings openness, connection, and settledness, within and without. 

Christ walked freely through the world because Christ walked in complete self-emptying. He found a freedom to become fully whom God intended him to be. We will not achieve his perfection, but we can certainly apply his lesson. Annais and Sapphira died, but their death was far more than their literal death. They were dead already to the fullness of God’s love, for they were owned by another master, one less forgiving. 

Share.

It brings us life as it brings us to God.