“See how they love one another”; these are the words Tertullian noted (Apology [39.7]) in the Third Century, as spoken by some of the non-Christians of the time regarding Christian communities.  The “love” they are referring to is the way in which the early Christian churches cared for each other, especially the poor.  We know from reading Acts of the Apostles that many Christian communities shared their material possessions in common.  They also shared freely with those in need who were not part of the Christian community.  This was a powerful witness in the early church.  Despite periods of harsh persecution, the witness of generations of Christians living the “new commandment” of Jesus to “love one another,” helped the church to grow and spread across the Roman empire, and led some to proclaim, perhaps with disbelief, “see how they love one another.”

For the early church this was where the words of Christ and the needs of the real world met.  This practical spirituality is expressed by Peter when he says, "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve another as good stewards of God's varied graces" (1 Peter 4:10).    The early church was living a spirituality that emphasizes that it is not so much that we do things for others but rather God is doing something for others through us. Being aware of the difference between "for" and "through" changes our whole understanding of what it means to “love one another” and be good stewards of God’s grace.  Stewardship is where faith and real life meet.

Stewardship properly understood is a complete lifestyle, a life of total accountability and responsibility acknowledging God as Creator and Owner of all. Stewardship is responsible management of our God-given resources of time, talent, and treasure. It enhances our relationships with God and one another. Stewardship is living out a commitment to be Christ-centered rather than self-centered and involves a conversion of the heart.   It is easy for us to overly spiritualize conversion, thinking of it as only an inward, personal transformation.  Conversion also entails a transformation of our interpersonal relationships and our interaction with our world.   Just as the early church was a visible witness to the power of God’s love working through them, we too can become witnesses in today’s world by living Jesus’ words “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).