There Was Not a Needy Person Among Them
"Now a single heart and soul was in the body of believers. Not one of them considered his property to be private, but all things were shared by them. With mighty power the apostles were giving the evidence of Jesus’ aliveness, and upon them all was a spirit of abounding goodwill. You know, there wasn’t a person in the group in need. For owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds and placing them at the disposal of the apostles. Distribution was then made to everyone on the basis of his need."
Acts 4:32-35, The Cotton Patch Gospel: The Complete Collection, Clarence Jordan
During the Easter Season we will be drawing our scripture readings from The Acts of the Apostles. At first read, this narrative seems unbelievable. It appears to be pure fantasy, foolishness some might call it. It tells the story of a world, a community that is very hard to imagine. But, as Paul reminds us in First Corinthians, "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom." The image depicted in these few verses from Acts, is a picture of God's radical hospitality fully alive in the church community.
Clarence Jordan, author of the Cotton Patch Gospels, along with his wife, Florence, and Martin and Mabel England (former American Baptist Missionaries) established an interracial Christian farming community in Southwest Georgia in 1942. They named it Koinonia, or "Communion" Farm. They bound themselves to the equality of all persons, rejection of violence, ecological stewardship, and common ownership of possessions. They went largely unnoticed, crazy church people, until their commitments to equality and economic justice began to be reflected beyond their 440 acre farm, for example, in the civil rights movement. Through the 1950's and 60's they endured stifling economic boycotts and repeated violence including several bombings. Fools indeed.
Koinonia Farm is still there today, as an intentional Christian community, committed to those same Christian values.
The Season of Easter is a time to celebrate the new, eternal life offered through Jesus the Christ, here and now, not just somewhere-someday. It is also a time that we are called to live fully into God's Infinite Love, Healing Grace, and Radical Hospitality. I am sure, more than anything else, the Koinonia residents have been called various kinds of fools.
"God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom." 1 Corinthians 1:25a
May we give thanks for communities like Koinonia, showing us even today, that Christ is alive, at work among us, and continually calling us into holy, Christlike community.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan