Christ Community Update

When I was in college some friends of mine and I would go down to the grocery store every now and then and buy some fruit in baby food jars. Partly driven by boredom and partly by lack of money, it was something different to do on a small budget. My favorite was the baby food bananas. Truth told, about every 10 years I still stop by and pick up a jar just for old times' sake. They have a slightly unripened taste and they are very smooth. They have to be that way for babies to digest. Euphoria aside, baby food bananas never compare to a perfectly ripened, freshly peeled banana. A banana has body and texture; it has strings. It leaves a feeling on the roof of your mouth. It offers a unique sense of sweetness. There is so much more to enjoy and savor than the pureed version made for babies. I will come back to this in a moment.

St. Cyprian in the 3rd century made the following observation: He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother. In our age of self-creation and self-actualization we have, perhaps without intention, fashioned a concept of spirituality that conceives of personal interaction with God without an ever increasing commitment to his Church. The apostles and early Christians knew nothing of this brand of Christendom.

In difficult and disappointing times we often withdraw and isolate; the early Church practiced rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep (Romans 12:15). We are often pulled by a felt need for time away, recreation, and relaxation; the early Church longed to be together and spent time together day by day (Acts 2:46). We often feel as though we cannot possibly give more of our "hard-earned money"; the early Church practiced holding much of what they owned in common, sold many of their belongings in order to meet others' needs, and did so with hearts full of generosity (Acts 2:44-46).

Baby food or something better. The Christianity practiced in the first century had a lot more body and texture; it had strings-many more points of experience and connection. Even though the lives of first century Christians would be overwhelming to us, they enjoyed a unique sense of sweetness with one another. I think there is so much more for us to enjoy and savor. Let's own our isolation and our consumerism. The risen and ascended Jesus is dispensing his good gifts!