ShareThisDespite good intentions, the five friends who sought to follow in Jesus' footsteps by forming an extended Christian family last year were ill-prepared for the realities of living closely in community.Two married couples, with five young children between them, moved with a like-minded bachelor into a dilapidated house in Billings, Montana, determined to live a life of simplicity and charity, cutting their living expenses to the bone so they could give generously to the needy and love their neighbors and one another unconditionally.They were inspired by the early Christians in Jerusalem, who sold all they owned and shared everything, "with one accord...with gladness and singleness of heart.""Our focus has to be on God and the way of life he has set out for us, as opposed to the way we want to live, which is very selfish," said one of the Billings husbands. "Church is not something we attend. It's something we are," added the bachelor.Ironically, after four months together they had not as yet met a single neighbor nor given aid. According to Stephanie Simon, writing in the Los Angeles Times, "When it came to food, clothing, and entertainment, they had not been able to agree on ground rules, beyond a vague vow 'to live a continually more modest lifestyle.'"Although they vowed to contribute equally for rent, utilities, and groceries, the adults controlled their own personal income. They prepared and ate simple meals in common, but could not agree on how attractively to furnish the house or how well to dress the children. A few members splurged on kiwi fruit, cheese snacks, and mint-chip ice cream. There were 10 kinds of salad dressing in their two refrigerators.Adults and children alike chafed over insufficient privacy and the division of daily chores. Although the adults agreed in principle to contribute to a community account to aid the poor, they could not agree on how much they could afford. When they invited two homeless women to stay with them overnight, one of the members admitted to being nervous with strangers in the house and tempted to lock her children's bedroom door.At length, one of the couples departed with their children, to be replaced by unmarried acquaintances. Remaining members also promised a bed to a meth addict as soon as his jail term ended.Christians idealize the common life but set strict standards to make it workable. The monastic community, for example, is based on holding property in common, sharing equally in chores, diet, and clothing, accepting common rules, and obeying an elected leader. In return, members are guaranteed privacy and protection, having their needs met without being responsible for getting a job and supporting a spouse and children. Members consider the trade-off to be a good bargain. Of course, it is not a lifestyle most persons would choose. But, unlike the Billings experiment in community, its formula is both ideal and practical.(David Yount's "Growing in Faith: A Guide for the Reluctant Christian" (Seabury) is in a new edition. He answers readers at P.O. Box 2758, Woodbridge, VA 22195 and dyount(at)erols.com)??
Trying to live as Jesus did
Paying taxes unites us. It also divides us. People can pay five and even six times more in state and local taxes than other folks in similar circumstances making similar incomes.
Who's got your number?
In one of the fastest-growing forms of identity theft, crooks are stealing tax refunds by swiping personal information and using it to trick the Internal Revenue Service.
