“From Each According To His Means And To Each According To His Needs!”

“From Each According To His Means And To Each According To His Needs!”
It can be argued that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a triumph of capitalism over socialism. Back in the African continent Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa as a social and economic development policies retarded the growth of Tanzania. Ujamaa is a Swahili word meaning extended family, brotherhood. Ujamaa asserts that a person becomes a person through the peoole or community.
This is the true African way of life that “I am because you are, and since you are, therefore I am.” You may call it ubuntu which in the Cameroonian context is mun ni mun – with the better pidgin English expression man live by man.
What became of this African communal spirit where the concern of one person was the concern of the whole community?
Communism was practiced by the early church and was very much appreciated by God. “The believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had…There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need..”
You may say, from each according to his means and to each according to his needs. Who can give us that old time religion with which the Lord was pleased as much grace was upon them all (Acts 4:32-35).
The lifestyle of these early christians teaches us that we can all enjoy God’s abundant bounties if we limit our greeds and self-centredness. We may not go back to that communal spirit as in those olden days, but we can at least share what we have with others so that nobody would actually be in want.
Weekend prayer: Lord Jesus Christ help us to be one in heart and mind like the early believers and share with those who lack. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Babila Fochang.