Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84All Things in Common? Dear Reader, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Since the collapse of Soviet- style communism, it’s been easy to dismiss this motto, made famous by Karl Marx in 1875, as a stale relic of failed socialism. Yet in 2016, in an astounding twist, the once-toxic term socialism is being rehabilitated by mainstream politicians in Europe and the United States. According to polls, a majority of American millennials say they prefer socialism to free-market capitalism. How deep this current runs is open to question. True socialism is a demanding, even ascetic, creed, while today’s version is often long on vague empathy and short on self-sacrifice. Still, the widespread hunger for a world where people live in solidarity, sharing their resources and lives in dedication to the common good, should give Christians pause. After all, this was our idea first. Immediately after Pentecost, the Book of Acts tells us, the first church in Jerusalem celebrated its newfound unity in the Holy Spirit by . . . abolishing private property. “Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common . . . and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32–35). Even if historical criticism is right to view this account as idealized, the fact remains: for the apostolic community, a life of economic sharing was the first sign of the church. In this, Acts is simply echoing Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Paul’s appeals for koinonia, and before them, the Hebrew prophets’ calls for repentance and the Torah’s requirements for the Jubilee. How faithfully has the church lived out this biblical vision? Not very, it’s tempting to reply. To that extent, G. K. Chesterton’s remark holds true that “the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” Yet that’s not the whole story. Two millennia of back-to-the-gospel movements, from monas- tics to radical Reformers, testify to a vibrant communal tradition (page 42). Recently, this impulse has reemerged under labels such as “slow church,” “new monasticism,” or “missional church.” As a member of a community that has shared all things in common since 1920, I’m naturally enthusiastic about such stirrings. Still, great caution is in order. Stanley Hauerwas puts it well when he says, “Community is dangerous”: dangerous whenever it is no longer a fellowship gath- ered around Jesus (page 32). For examples, we need look no farther than political communism and fascism. We who live in an isolated age that craves togetherness are hardly exempt from similar temptations, in religion as in politics. That is why in this issue we draw on the wisdom of men and women whose lives in community are centered passionately on Christ. For them, as for the first church in Jerusalem, community is not a new law but rather the fruit of overflowing love between brothers and sisters gripped by the Holy Spirit. Then, as Eberhard Arnold writes (page 22), “our whole life in all its aspects becomes a symbol of the future of humankind in the coming kingdom of God.” Isn’t this the gospel’s answer to our world’s horrors and its yearnings? Warm greetings, Peter Mommsen Editor Warm greetings, Peter Mommsen Photograph by Pascal Frei, Unsplash