A People of And
How do we make helping people both/and instead of either/or?
We started a new sermon series at church this week. Unite and Share. This week’s message was titled A Kingdom of And. The children’s moment had pastor Kristen Lee reading a children’s book titled, The Story of And by Sandy Sasso. You can find that book on Amazon HERE. The author is the first woman to be ordained a Rabbi in Reconstructionist Judaism, which is a progressive form of Judaism split off from the mainstream of that religious faith.
The point of the book and the message was one of accepting our differences as a both/and rather than an either/or proposition. The book took two shapes and combined them into a third thing each time that became something more as the sum of the parts than either was apart. In both cases, one of the shapes was an angry shape and the other a sad shape until the little word And came along and said, “Yes, we can.” Then the two shapes combined to become something far more than they were before.
"the lion and the lamb" by toramichan is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The scripture for the sermon came from Acts 2:42-47:
42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
45and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42–47 (NASB95)
Typically, this passage and others like it are used by some Christians to suggest we should hold all things in common, meaning a government of either socialism or communism. Happily, this message did not do that. Pastor Lee moved specifically away from that, highlighting that when we come together in love looking out for one another, we want to help them. It isn’t something a government or a leadership forces on its members. Those members feel called to do it because they see a need they can fill and do so through their abundance. It is not love when a government forces people to do this. It is not gracious when a leader makes his or her followers give up what they have so that someone else can have some of it. It is only love when we as individuals feel the urgings of the Holy Spirit inside our hearts to move us to help our neighbor. That is love.
This idea of loving our neighbor moved into the idea that “we are called to be a kingdom of people that point to And.” But what does that mean, “a people of and?” As I stated at the opening of today’s entry, it is a both/and not an either/or proposition, which is the point of the message.
What does it mean to be both/and, a kingdom of people pointing to and? It points to the idea that both you and I can succeed. That both you and I can be fulfilled. That both you and I can have what we need. However, it does not point to the idea that we abdicate our duty to fill someone else’s need to a higher authority who “oversees the needs of some and takes from the abundance of others.” We are individually responsible for filling the needs we see around us when we see them. How do we accomplish that?
I don’t know. That’s a unique answer for each of us. What needs do you see around you? What do you have in your possession that can fill those needs? What both/and do you have that can help someone else?
“But I don’t trust them to use it right.”
That’s not our concern necessarily.
We are called to be wise in our resource sharing. Our abundance is not infinite. As the starfish analogy goes, we can’t save them all, but we can help this one. So, with so many in need, do we sift through the chaff to get to the wheat that needs what we have?
Prayer.
Sometimes it isn’t about who we give to, just that we give. Other times it is about who we give to, but not what we give; it’s all about how we give. Finally, it might not be about who or how, but what. It’s not a clear-cut answer; give this to these people in this way, and your future will be assured. That’s not the point at all. We do the best we can with what we’ve been given, knowing we make mistakes.
That last part is important but not in the way that sentence seems to indicate. We need to ensure we understand we make mistakes, and that’s okay as long as we repent of those mistakes. But our repentance isn’t the important part there. It’s important, just not the really important part. The most important part about understanding we make mistakes is remembering that goes for other people too. I make mistakes too, but why is that the most important part of a kingdom of a people of and?
Sometimes my mistakes are how I deal with you. Sometimes when I get it wrong, I do something that hurts you. I need your grace and understanding when I screw up and make a mistake that offends you, but that goes both ways. Sometimes you make a mistake that hurts me. When that happens, and you realize it, you want forgiveness from me. If you want me to forgive you, you have to forgive me.
I’m not putting this line of discussion out there suggesting either you or I have done something one to the other here. It’s an example. The point is that we have to give grace and mercy to all people, or we cannot expect them to give us grace and mercy in return when we make a mistake.
1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Matthew 7:1–2 (NASB95)
The idea that everyone makes mistakes and needs forgiveness is at the heart of this passage from Matthew. It is why we should practice here on earth, giving people the benefit of the doubt where possible. Our actions here in the flesh of this world have repercussions for the spirit in the Kingdom of Heaven.
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19–21 (NASB95)
Sunday school before the service focused on the differences between the fleshly world and the spiritual world. Where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal from where God’s grace, mercy, and love reside. Our hearts have the choice of which sphere to operate in, and by that position, we will be judged. Do we look at our neighbor as an either/or or a both/and? Are we a kingdom of what I have or a kingdom of you and I have? We won’t always get it right, but understanding that we should strive to get it right more often than we get it wrong is a place to start. If we can move through this week looking for more opportunities for Both and fewer opportunities for Either, we will move away from the land of Or into the Kingdom of And.