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. Acts 4:32
“Let all things be common to all, as it is written. And let no one call or take to himself anything as his own. But if anyone should be found to indulge this most baneful vice, and, having been admonished once and again, doth not amend, let him be subjected to punishment.”
Benedict of Nursia (480-547) in The Rule of St. Benedict 33. If you have never read Benedict’s Rule it’s worth reading. It represents what he determined it meant to follow Jesus in community about five centuries after Christ.
At this Stewardship Summit wraps up (some fifteen centuries later), we have reminded each other that acting like owners of that which we possess leads to disaster. Lest “this most baneful vice” destroy us, we resolve to view things as belonging to God, which means they are gifts to be enjoyed and shared as common to all.
Just in case you think that one person determining to live this way can’t make a difference, Benedict of Nursia founded the Benedictine order of monks who have been known for their generous sharing ever since.