Thursday: Beyond Individualism and Communism: The Kingdom
WEEK 17
THURSDAY
BEYOND INDIVIDUALISM AND COMMUNISM: THE KINGDOM
2 Corinthians 9:6-10
We saw yesterday that purely Communistic societies fail or slow down and become stagnant. Why? Because there are two urges in human nature: the egoistic (personal) and the altruistic (social). Both of them have to be held in a living blend and, further, in a living balance. The Christian faith puts them in a living balance—“You shall love your neighbor [altruistic] as yourself [egoistic]” (Matt 19:19 RSV). Note the “as”—exactly balanced.
Communism is a half-truth; it forgets that life is individual and personal. Individualism is also a half-truth; it forgets that life is social. There is something beyond each—the Christian order—where you love your neighbor as you love yourself. The meaning of the world crisis is apparently this: Something beyond Communism and beyond individualism is struggling to be born, God’s order, the kingdom of God. We swing from one to the other, oscillating between Communism and individualism. We will probably come to equilibrium at the kingdom of God.
Let us note that the communism of the Acts was quite different from modern Marxist Communism. The early Christian type was voluntary and spiritual. Peter said to Ananias, who had kept back a part of the price of land sold, “Wasn’t that property yours to keep? After you sold it, wasn’t the money yours to do with whatever you wanted?” (Acts 5:4). This showed that sharing of goods was voluntary. There was no compulsion or expulsion, if goods were shared. This is quite different from the compulsory Communism of the present day.
Also, while it was set off as a distinct type, it failed for two obvious reasons: first, it was only partially applied, namely, to distribution and not to production. They gave away what they had, so they were soon poor, and collections had to be taken for the “poor among the saints” at Jerusalem. Second, even if it had been applied to production as well as to distribution, it would have failed ultimately, for it appealed to only one urge—the social urge. Life built on that half-truth was based on an insufficient foundation, and hence it broke down. Yet it had a very great truth wrapped up in it; that truth is alive today.
Dear Lord, give us insight to see your mind and your purpose. For you are intent on redeeming people and nations. When we see light, may we walk in it. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I will have insight to see God’s pointings, and I will follow those pointings.