Growing Together: Lessons from the Early Christian Community on Diversity Management and Justice, (Acts 6:1-7).
Acts of the Apostles paint a beautiful picture of the early Church, a community vibrant with faith and overflowing with love, (Acts 4: 32-35). This idyllic scene of oneness and shared possession is challenged in Acts 6: 1-7. As the number of disciples grew, so did the complexities of caring for the community. Grumbling arose among the Greek-speaking Jews (Hellenists) who felt their widows were being neglected in the daily food distribution. This incident challenges the earlier image of perfect unity, highlighting the inevitable friction that arises in any growing community, even one bound by love. Addressing Community Needs: The Apostolic Solution : Faced with crucial challenge, the Twelve Apostles summoned the whole Community of Disciples and proposed the selection of seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of Wisdom, to oversee this task, allowing the Apostles to dedicate themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. This decision was well received by the whole co