On Friday 13 June, Rev Child addressed pupils on the importance of community.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-37)

Last Sunday was Pentecost, which is sometimes called “the birthday of the Church”. That reading we’ve just heard is about the earliest Christian community learning how to support each other by sharing what they had. Keep that theme in mind as I tell you an old folk tale called ‘The Story of the Magic Soup Stone’.

There was once a traveller who arrived in a village, tired and hungry. He approached a house and knocked on the door. When a woman answered, he explained that he had been walking all day and asked if he could have some food. The woman apologised. “This is a very poor village. No-one has very much money or very much food. I’m sorry we can’t help you.”

The traveller was undeterred. “If you’ll allow me,” he said, “I happen to be carrying a magic soup stone. Just put some water on to boil, and I’ll be able to make soup.” With that, he rummaged in his bag and pulled out an ordinary looking stone. The woman wondered if the man was a little mad, but all the same she lit a fire under a large pot filled with water. As it began to boil, the traveller dropped the stone in the pot. After a few minutes, he took a spoon and tasted the soup.

“Mmm, that’s delicious,” he said. “That’s excellent soup. It just needs… a little bit of potato in it.”

By this point a small crowd from the village had heard about the traveller and his magic soup stone, and were watching from the doorway. One of them cried, “I’ve got a couple of potatoes!” He dashed back home, returned with the potatoes, and dropped them in the pot. The traveller tasted the soup again.

“Mmm, that’s great. It could just do with some vegetables as well.”

“I’ve got some carrots!” said one villager. “And I’ve got some cabbage!” shouted another. They fetched the vegetables and threw them in the pot.

“This is really coming together,” said the traveller as he tasted the soup. “The magic soup stone is definitely working. We just need some herbs and some bits of bread.”

Sure enough, there were some villagers who had those things at home, and in fact there were some other villagers who thought of more things they had that could go in the soup.

That evening a large group from the village shared an excellent meal of soup together with the traveller, their best meal for a long time. At the end of the meal the traveller thanked them for their company and rose to leave. The woman whose house it was stopped him. “Don’t forget your magic soup stone,” she said. The traveller smiled and replied that he would leave the stone with the villagers so they could use it whenever they needed it.

My first thought on that tale is that you have admire the traveller for his ability to bring the village together. The real magic in the story, of course, is what can happen when people gather. The villagers sharing their food is not even enforced – it’s generous and spontaneous. Notice the similarity with the Bible reading we heard:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Some people have critiqued this part of the book of Acts as an endorsement of communism and a complete prohibition of ownership and property. I think that’s missing the point. I think Acts chapter 4 is much more about the magic that can happen when communities gather and develop instincts for sharing and living together.

I have one or two old friends who have a real talent for bringing people together. It’s taken me years to recognise their talent, because it’s easy to miss. They aren’t always the loudest person at the party. Instead they are the person who organised the party. They are the person who first suggested meeting up; the person who sorted out a time and a date; the person who arranged the food; and so on.

Do value this quality if you see it in other people; maybe even grow this talent yourself. Acts chapter 4 and the story of the soup stone show that it is a valuable quality, a community-building quality, we could even say a godly quality.