Independence?

It's what we strive for. It's what our country stands for. Independence. We don't want to need anyone else. "Taking charity" is a sign of weakness or greed. Going out, working hard and being successful on your own is the American Dream.

But as I have grown this summer I have reached for the opposite. I want interdependence, not independence. I want community, not singularity. But our culture, our way of thinking is so different than that. Why?

I think one reason is pride. Many people don't like taking charity. Just this summer I've had the mindset that "I'm not going to tell people my needs because I need to work it out on my own, and when I take care of it all everyone will be so impressed with me." We think that as long as people work hard they should be fine. Yes, that would be great, but unfortunately sometimes that's not reality. Another reason (on the flip side) is extreme sense of ownership. Yes, we want people to think we are generous, but if you borrow my pencil I want it back. I worked and paid for that pencil (or meal plan, or pop tart, or gas or.....) and I don't want it to be taken from me. And if you do borrow this pencil, this $20, this whatever, I may say that you don't have to worry about it, but I'll remember. And you should remember. And someday you will pay me back.

I guess that independence is fair. You get what you work for- no more, no less. But I don't want to live like that. I want to help people who don't deserve it. I want to have grace. And, when I need it, I hope that I can receive grace even if I don't deserve it.

And I know that in this imperfect world there are people who take advantage of grace and charity. But it is so sad to me that there are some people who have gobs and gobs of money and others who are genuinely hard workers who don't know how they're going to pay for food. How cool would it be if we all just helped each other and lived in community and wealth didn't matter because we didn't need it, we just needed each other? I guess this makes me sound like a communist. I don't think I am. I just think there's a better way of living.

Here are some interesting quotes from Shane Claiborne in his book Irresistible Revolution:
"I feel sorry that so many of us have settled for a lonely world of independence and riches when we could all experience the fullness of life in community and interdependence."
"Patting Mother Teresa on the back, someone said to her, 'I wouldn't do what you do for a million dollars.' She said with a grin, 'Me neither."

Any thoughts?