A Brand New Culture
About
thirty years ago, our culture began from a few people with
childlike hearts who left the popular culture of the world,
walking away from their old lives. At that time it was mainly
young single people, but soon there were families with children,
and even grandparents. They started giving up their houses,
farms, and businesses to become part of the new life that
they had found. Something special and exciting was happening
— an enlightenment, a revelation was permeating us.
There was an assurance of being cared for, a conviction
of something worth living for. This caused us to cast off
fear and self-interest so we could live for each other.
At that time we started to understand some of the things that
were written in the Bible long ago: "I tell you the truth,"
Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present
age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields
-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal
life."
The farmer was promised a hundred farms for the one he
gave up. Those who gave up houses would gain a hundred in
return. And all the people who were giving up parents, relatives
and friends to be disciples would, in turn, live in those
houses and receive an abundant social life with those hundreds
of new brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and children.
What else could the Master have meant by those words? We
saw that he was talking about starting a brand new culture,
and we began to realize what was happening right in our
midst - a new spiritual nation was forming.
Soon we began to form our own economy based on cottage
industry, farming, and traditional crafts, because we wanted
to keep this new culture pure, free from greed and selfishness.
With conviction, we took our children out of the public
school system in order to teach
them at home. We realized that everything we did would
be in vain if we left our children
to be corrupted by the disrespect, independence, and
peer pressure of the old culture.
We
also began creating and making our own garments, to uphold
modesty and purity and respect
for each other. Each step of the way our Father was leading
us to be more distinctive from the world that surrounded
us (Isaiah 49:6).
And so it continues to this day. The meals we eat together
are simple and nourishing, not
driven by "health fads," but simply made from whole
fresh foods. We like to focus on careful preparation
and serving,
rather than richness of ingredients, because we know that
our Father cares about what we put into our bodies.
We want
to live a long life so we can serve the One who saved us
from death.
This new culture is pure, so nothing strange or defiling
from the old culture is allowed to come in. Everyone must
give up everything to become a part of it, otherwise our
new culture would become contaminated.
It is not just material things that we give
up, but also our strong opinions, philosophies, prejudices,
politics, fears, and fantasies.
Our life is marked by compassion, practicality, and functionality.
If someone is lacking adequate clothes or shoes, we provide
them. If someone doesn't know how to keep his room clean,
someone will show him. Someone who is lacking practical
skills will be taught how to use his energies to serve in
a cottage industry or a household or farm activity, learning
a trade in the process. If a rich person comes, he gives
up everything for the benefit of everyone, and of course
his own personal needs are met in return. If someone comes
without material wealth, he is no less significant and is
taken care of as well.
We
work and talk and sing and dance and eat together every
day - except that we don't work on the Sabbath. As we continue
knowing, loving, and obeying our Master Yahshua, we keep
learning more and more about how we should be in this new
culture. We have learned that our God continues to reveal
Himself to those who obey Him.
It only makes sense. Without revelation, we would perish.
Our worship is in a circle, a gathering of men and women
and children, young and old, married and single. All can
speak, and all are heard, because our Father communicates
with every one of His children. More understanding and
revelation from His Spirit comes every day to help us
know how to deal
with the unusual situations, problems, and purifying circumstances
that arise in everyday community life.
For us worship and service are
the same. In Acts 26:7, "earnestly serving God night and
day" the Greek word actually means both serve and worship —
some Bibles translate it one way, and some the other.
The way we sing to our God and what we say about Him, the
things we say to and about each other, what we teach our
children and how we treat them, and what we do during every
day of our active lives — it all goes together. It must
all be special, holy, and pleasing to Him. That is how it
will remain a living, flourishing, and reproducing entity
— the very life of God.
By
far the most important aspect of that life is our children.
They are very special to us. We respect, appreciate, and
listen to them. We have a life that includes and makes room
for them. This is their people, their culture, their heritage
and inheritance. Everything we have belongs to them. They
are not left to themselves, in their own world of skateboards,
or to fill their souls with television and video games,
or to have their consciences worn down by peer pressure.
Children who are left to themselves to do these things have
no idea who they are or why they are alive.
The way we raise our children gives them dignity and confidence.
They learn to relate to and enjoy being with people of all
ages. They have plenty of opportunity to show kindness and
hospitality toward strangers and guests. How unique, in
a world where people can hardly say hello to each other
on the streets because of their fear and insecurity.
Also,
we teach our children to be wholehearted. We want them
to
value and give all of their strength to everything they
do. Why? Because we live for each other and no longer
for ourselves.
Our Master said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give My life as a ransom for many."
Our children are learning along with us to set aside their
own selfish interests in order to serve one another, for
we are building a nation together, not our own personal
kingdoms.
The generation gap is being bridged from father to son
to grandson, and from mother to daughter to granddaughter.
The bonds between the generations are being restored and
strengthened as one of the most essential aspects of our
brand new culture. Parents desire their children (from conception
on — there are no abortions here) and thoroughly enjoy being
with them. You see this as they generously share all that
they have with them — all their wisdom and experience as
well as their faith and their hope for the future. And so
the heart of one generation is passed on to the next, and
to the next after them!
As wonderful as our life together is, this new culture
that is forming is not an end in itself. We have a magnificent
purpose that is always in our hearts and on our lips. It
is summed up in the chorus of a song we often sing and dance
to; parents and children and single people all together:
We've not yet loved enough —
We'll love and keep on loving until it fills the earth!
Oh, if that is not enough,
We'll love and watch it fill the universe!
[MORE]
Endnotes:
[1] Mark 10:29-30
[2] 2 Corinthians 6:17-18;
James 1:27
[3] John 14:21
[4] Proverbs 29:18
[5] 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
[6] Matthew 20:28
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