“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.”
In American society, after being educated, working hard, and sacrificing many things, many people tend to think that all that they have belongs to them-not to God. As a product of this mentality, it is easy to get attached to the things we have, and to only think of ourselves when we choose how to use our gifts, accomplishments, money, connections, etc.
Drawing on one of my previous reflections (the one about humility), I question how much each person does to get what he or she has. I ask questions like: If I had been raised in a much poorer, lower educated, secluded family, would I be as successful as I am today? Would I have all of the things that I have (material possessions, access to healthy food, education, connections, etc.)? How big of a factor is luck in the type of life that I live?
There are two major things that come into play here. The first is the opportunities that a person is given, and the second is what that person does with those opportunities. Personally, while I do believe that working hard and doing our best is something that all of us should strive to do, I also hold the strong belief that everything people have is largely a product of the family, country, etc. they were born into. It is important to realize that opportunities are a very big factor that go into how successful a person is.
Therefore, who am I to claim that what I have are things that I have earned, and things that I to keep all for myself? This reading challenges us to examine how we live our lives; it challenges us to look at our motivation, or lack-thereof, to share our abundance of material items, as well as to share ourselves in general (our love, compassion, empathy, etc.). When we are able to recognize that all we have, and all that we are, is thanks to God, then we are able to see ourselves as equal to those people both inside and outside our community. When we are able to see ourselves as equals, and we are able to see our possessions as possessions of God, then we can share these things in community and all benefit from the people who have privileged places in society.
The word community has roots from the word communis, as well as maene, which mean “common.” People in thriving communities have so many things in common in the sense that each person is expected, and willing, to bring their gifts and privileges to the table. People want to bring all that they have; they want to share themselves and their possessions. In this type of situation not only does the receiver benefit, but also the people giving find joy. For example, breaking bread with our brothers and sisters (i.e. sharing a meal) is so much more fulfilling than eating by oneself. The food is not the best part of the meal, but rather the most joy comes from sharing that food with others.
I hope that one day we are all able to break bread with one another, to see one another as equal to ourselves, and to truly give all that we are and all that we have to others in order to strengthen our community on earth.
