Share

The word “share” is both a noun and a verb.

As a noun, it connotes a part or portion, as in share of stocks or bonds, “my share/your share,” or “a fair share.”

As a verb, it’s often used as a parental command (“Share that toy with your brother/sister/friend!”).

For people of faith, sharing is a communal activity in which the sharer receives intangible benefits such as having the feeling of doing good for another person or group. In the New Testament, Acts 4:32-35 records how the early community shared goods for the benefit of all, and early Christians were distinguishable from other people by their sharing practices.

Sharing seems to differ from giving, in that giving can be a one-way activity, often to a group or to an anonymous person, donor-to-recipient. Sharing implies mutuality, commonality, and perhaps actual presence with others. For instance, we are asked to “share” the Gospel with other people, not to “give” it.

This Advent, may we consider how to participate, not solely in a single “Giving Tuesday” but in frequent “Sharing Days” in which we share our time, talents, and treasures within our St. Luke’s community and beyond, to the world. Amanda Masterson #share #adventword