The Essence of Community - Pt. 2

 

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-37 ESV).

 

Our reading today brings us to an important characteristic of the unity of community. We see it throughout the Scripture. It is the practice of hospitality. Community is about more than just a surface relationship. It calls for hospitality, and that often means putting oneself in a place of risk and vulnerability to include others. It means inviting others into your space to include them in what is going on. It means developing a relationship based on the truth that all of us are searching for truth and grace. It means that we are committed to a relationship that does not engage in judgment or criticism; but, it engages in helping others find the love and acceptance of our Savior.

 

When I was a student at Southwestern Seminary in the early 70’s, my evangelism professor, Roy Fish, did something that shaped my understanding of the principle of hospitality within the church for me. The first was an experiment of sorts. He dressed himself in the rags of poverty and used makeup and a false beard to conceal his identity as he played the part of a homeless person. He stationed himself on the front steps of one of the largest churches in Ft. Worth complete with a cardboard sign asking for help. He recounted his experience to us one day in class. Though there were over a thousand people in attendance that morning at this prestigious church, he didn’t have one person invite him in. He did have a few people who dared to approach close enough to drop some coins in the cup he had beside him. Nearly at the time for the service to begin and older man approached and said, “Would you like to come inside to get out of the heat? Perhaps after church we could go to get something to eat together.” They made their way down the center aisle of the church to be seated at the front. The pastor, who knew Dr. Fish was going to disguise himself that morning began to read from our reading today. After speaking for a few minutes, he called the professor to the front to introduce him to the congregation. The audible gasps from the congregation were stunning when he took off his disguise and revealed his true identity. The pastor then read the following Scripture: Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:1-2 ESV). Community requires the practice of acceptance through hospitality.