The emergent band of disciples was attractive to those in their community because they possessed an uncommon unity. Not only did they demonstrate Christian community, they also displayed an uncommon value system. Check out Acts 4:32, “And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”
Imagine what it would be like to participate in a community where people were more prized than possessions. Their fidelity toward one another was so deep and authentic that they valued one another more than the stuff they owned. They gave one another their full and unconditional support.
While we are prone to help those in our communities of faith, often that help is measured. My dad helped me understand the difference between measured giving and giving with an open hand. Measured giving opens the wallet and shares what the giver wants to give. Giving with the open hand passes over the wallet and says, “take what you need.”
There’s a lot of stuff being written about the power of materialism and the bondage of material things in today’s society. How do we break the bondage of materialism? Maybe the bond is truly broken once and for all when we value one another more than we value our stuff. Maybe the bond is truly broken when we learn to find our identity in Christ instead of in what we have accumulated.
