Community of Love II

On the subject of community of love and giving without thought of reward, I want to think about receiving from others as equally important. So many people in our society have this idea that self-sufficiency is a good goal. It is not. It can never be achieved. We all depend on others every time we drive, shop, fly, turn on the lights, call 911, see a doctor watch films or TV, and even use the toilet. Human beings are social animals. We need each other for our mental health. We see this need in people responding to being at home and not being able to be in the presence of friends and family by using social media apps to be with each other in ways that mimic pre-pandemic social interaction. Brunch or happy hour on zoom. Oh, IT people are important too!

This “self-made person” attitude affects how we see everyone around us. When we do not realize how much was given to us and how others helped us to get where we are, it is easy to think that poor, hungry, or homeless people are just lazy; sick people are sick because they didn’t take care of themselves; prisoners are criminals (if they’re innocent of the crime they’re in prison for, well they must have done something); disabled people are not worth as much as “normal” people; women are raped because they were somehow foolish. It becomes easy to think that somehow these populations are fundamentally different from us. It is an easy way to push away the fear of any of these things happening to us. The end point of this "self-sufficient" ideal is the fear of being on the receiving end of charity, love, anything. Being on the receiving end implies that we are vulnerable. No one wants to be seen as vulnerable or, worse, needy.

Yet, the simple truth is that in order for there to be givers, there must be receivers. And if the kin-dom of heaven is a community of love, then that must be reciprocal, a give-and-take. Humility is necessary for love. Humility is recognizing our defects, recognizing when we need help and asking for it, recognizing that we are not and will never be perfect or self-sufficient, recognizing that we depend on others every day. There is no grace or joy in not being humble or vulnerable, there is only isolation and loneliness. 

It is as important to receive from others as it is to give. Let's practice  both behaviors. How will you receive today? How will you give? These are key to God’s beloved kin-dom and only those who are able to be vulnerable as well as charitable will be at home there.

B