Acts 4:32-35

"All the believers were of one heart and mind. No one claimed any of their property as their own, but the shared every thing they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of our lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy people among them. for from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money form the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone who was in need."

Doesn't this strike you as extraordinary? That is the way I see it looking at it from the context of America today with all of its capitalistic tendencies, and emphasis on getting ahead and accumulating more wealth. The Christians of the early church did not believe that anything they had in their possession was actually theirs. It ALL belonged to God. If any one was in need the members of the church would not simply give out of their savings or extra money they would sell a house or land in order that their christian brother would not have to suffer. This spirit of closeness and family and love is what we should all be striving for, especially in our church families. It doesn't that our human weakness often judges others to be less worthy than some to receive our help or that we often think we earned what we have. In out hearts we must realize that every thing we have is a gift and that none of us could every be worthy or have earned a single thing we have because it has all come from God and none of us could ever measure up to his standards. When you understand that the only thing that will make sense is to give the gifts god has blessed you with so that others do not have to struggle. When this can be understood again we will have regained a piece of the Christianity that draws people in and hold them to God because no where else can the experience such love and caring, and that after all is what Christianity is all about.