Now C3 College is off and running- at two Campuses – I have time to write again. (I still don’t have time to source cool images so the sunrise is just a photo I love )
This one’s a little different – see if you like it.
So a few weeks ago I went to hear a Biblical Scholar John Barclay speak. In the midst of many things that he said he threw out a comment about something that has been running around in my head ever since.
As part of his research John Barclay is looking at poverty and giving in first century Palestine. Here is the Pam paraphrase of what he said and what has so challenged me.
“What if Biblical giving was never supposed to be one way – what if our whole concept of giving with no strings attached, without expecting anything back, is actually just a modern western construct?”
Now before you do what I did – and have your brain scream at you because we have always been told that the right thing to do is just to give to people and not expect to receive – consider these thoughts
- Is giving without expecting to receive a position of arrogance because we take a high position of – I am the person in plenty – and I will give to a person in need – and there is nothing they can do for me
- Isn’t true community actually about giving and receiving – about a co-dependence that is healthy and strong.
- Isn’t humility able to say – right now I give to you this gift of time, money, dinner, flowers etc but I know I will one day, and it may be tomorrow, I will need help from you.
Surely real community must go both ways.
As a person who has found it hard at times to ask for help, I am deeply challenged by these thoughts. I know that many of you who are in leadership roles probably are the same. In some ways, particularly in western culture, we celebrate people who don’t need help – we all love low maintenance friends.
However, what I think is not bothering people – or getting on with it – may in fact turn out to be arrogance and unhealthy independence.
Also isn’t there also the joy of giving that means we always receive and shouldn’t we just acknowledge it.
In times of tragedy or crisis – we all find it easier to receive. However, what if we lived everyday life in a flow of giving and receiving – and not just with family or those we live with ?
I wonder if that is what it means to be the body of Christ ?
Still thinking it through so love to hear your thoughts.
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