All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Acts of the Apostles 4: 32-35, NIV
The modern American understanding of ‘private property’ is an un-Christian ideal. There. I said it.
Wait, before you close the door on me - before you label me a radical socialist - hear me out. Personally, I love the idea of private property. I always have, and I can prove it. Just ask my brother how often I’d let him borrow any of my CD’s when we were young. He’ll also be glad to tell you how often he was allowed to play with my toys, come into my room, eat the last piece of candy, get the bigger half of the cookie we were made to share… You’ll soon learn that I’ve always loved being able to label what is ‘mine’ and how I’ve always been adamant in defending my ‘sovereign’ property rights.
Lest you believe that was all in the past, when I was but a child; should you think I’ve somehow softened in my adulthood; there are many more recent examples of my stingy behavior concerning my belongings. For example, I’ve yet to ever let my wife drive ‘my’ truck. At home I have ‘my’ coffee mugs that only I use. At work, I have ‘my’ set of dry erase markers, multi-colored Sharpie markers (two sizes, both mine), I will only use a specific type of pen and I won’t let anyone else borrow them for fear of not having them myself when I might need one… even though I have at least a dozen on hand at any time. These seem like insignificant items to hoard, yet they point to a more serious sin within me - the sin of fearing scarcity. I’d like to say I recognized these patterns in my life early enough to change my ways before teaching the next generation to behave similarly, but my daughter now has ‘her’ stash of Oreos to protect and maintain. So, yes, I’ve failed myself and tarnished the next generation. I love the idea of private property. What more can I say?
My people have feared scarcity for generations. From the time European settlers arrived on the shores of what we now call the United States, this fear motivated greed concerning private property. Following traditions which harken back to the middle-ages, Europeans understood specific ways one could establish rights to a piece of property, be it real estate or tangible personal property. Ownership was a common understanding that non-human things were up for grabs until rightfully claimed. Once a piece of land was claimed, following certain ‘legal’ customs, that property was owned by the stated individual without challenge. Protocol for inheritance and passing ownership, selling or trading, and of course eventually how the governments that formed would tax the property, all stem from the basic idea that things must be owned and that the owner is the responsible party for the things. Sadly, this included even human ‘things,’ as enslaved people were treated as possessions in those early American days. This type of ownership was eventually challenged, and legal human slavery was abolished, though not without four-hundred years of shameful practice cluttering the closets of American history. Meanwhile, land ‘rights’ which were established by Europeans for Europeans paid no attention to the rights of the indigenous people of this land. These natives were deemed ‘heathen’ and (ironically) un-Christian, therefore unworthy of rights. European ‘Americans’ largely stole what they wanted and pushed the native people of the ‘New World’ out of their way. into an existence unlike anything they’d ever know. If this was to be taken as “Christian” behavior, it amounted to a spectacularly failed missionary effort if ever there was one.
Even with all their faults, European Americans did have one thing going for them - persistence. Over time, they did ‘conquer’ the continent and, by God, followed their Manifest Destiny to expand their influence from sea to shining sea. I write all of this as a proud American of European descent. I’m fairly certain than not all European immigrants and settlers to the ‘New World’ were out to fleece the land and it’s native people of all their property. My ancestors were largely poor Scots-Irish and German laborers who settled in the rocky foothills and valleys along the Appalachian range. They were not wealthy enough to own slaves, and were more likely to be indentured servants themselves than to own another person or even their own large estate of land. However, it remains true that the history of naming property rights and assigning ownership was a tradition our Christian ancestors brought with them wherever they settled throughout the whole world. My issue is that this seems to be an entirely un-Christian behavior.
The first Apostles were quick to discover that in order to do the good work they were called to do, in order to live out Christ’s commission that they go into all the world and preach and teach and share and care, they also must eat. And they might have found that having a place to lay their sandals and rest their heads was also important. And, let’s not forget the human need for clothing and other accessories which make us each socially presentable, an important trait to have if you are about to preach radical, life-changing Good News to strangers. Where would the money come from to support this new work and new life? The Apostles began sharing all they had with one another for the mutual support and aid of one another. It’s a common response to shared life throughout the world, people living in community with one another share their resources. However, today this idea is often viewed suspiciously as un-American, communist, socialist.
How should we modern Americans, with our generations-old fear of the Red Scare and communism/socialism/unbridled sharing, ever hope to reconcile the notions of Christ’s earliest followers with our own post-European, colonial, capitalistic sensibilities? Are we simply wrong for wanting to be able to ‘own’ things? Is this crazy article and it’s even crazier author trying to persuade to you sell everything you own and give it to the poor?
No. Jesus did that.
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19: 20-22, NIV
Ok, I know that so far I’ve been a little harsh on the idea of claiming ownership of property. Even though Jesus was a little harsh on ‘storing up treasures on earth’ as well, it’s time we get to a more sensible, palatable solution for the modern American Christian. Let’s consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church at Corinth, a passage that may be familiar to many, but one which I believe holds a comment on private property ownership we often overlook:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, NIV
What does this passage about spiritual gifts have to do with manifest destiny, my own personal stash of Pilot G2 pens, or my daughter’s Oreo habit? The source of all these things is God. The Maker and Sustainer, Provider, and Ruler of all the creation has set into our care specific ‘gifts.’ If we limit our understanding of this passage to those things within us that inspire our actions, we might miss the bigger and more tangible point Paul is making. We have each been given so much with which to labor and use to further God’s kingdom on earth. When we become stingy with our gifts, be they spiritual gifts or our office supplies, we fail to use them for the kingdom of God. When we withhold our gifts, those things which we did not create and did not deserve for any work or merit of our own, including our paychecks and our homes and our cars, we fail God. You see, as Paul writes, the Spirit distributes the gifts, the Lord is who we serve with them, and it is God at work through us in using them.
When we enslave others, displace others, or withhold from others, we are actually enslaving ourselves to greed, displacing ourselves from God’s kingdom, and withholding our love from God. We can do better. We can still own, occupy and hold onto those things that make our lives possible. We can still enjoy the gifts God has given us. Let us never forget, however, that true enjoyment of God’s gifts - true thankfulness for what God has done for each of us - is not expressed through a fear of scarcity. We have so much. There is nothing to fear. Let us release the blessings God has given us to steward. Let us truly own our membership in the family of God.
In Christ,
J.M.D.