"What's mine is yours"

St Benedict said that we should welcome every stranger as if they were Christ himself... based upon the scripture: what you do for the least of these you do for me.

This ethos has lead me to consider in a deeper way what it means, not only to be hospitable, but also think in a more practical way about possessions. I've said to a few friends recently "what's mine is yours", but if what we have (life, time, money, energy, items etc.) is not ours at all (instead they are just given to us as to a steward to take care of by God) and we are to treat everyone as if they were Christ, the true owner, then should we take this thought to it's end conclusion that what we have is everyone's?

Does "my" money belong to the Jehovah's Witness that knocks on the front door? How should we be proper stewards in responsibly dealing with possessions, and yet open handed towards the needs of others? If someone takes something from me (again: time, life, money, energy or items) should I accept it as if it were Christ taking? IS it Christ?

The most important "things" in my life are my parents. What if Christ takes them? How would I deal with the pain and yet be open handed in my acceptance that they belong to Him?

In taking steps of faith, in living by faith, in trusting God on a daily basis - acknowledging that it IS him who provides all we need (job, air, food etc.) how much more do I want to continue in being open handed - a good steward - but do we go to the extreme? Is there a middle ground that is biblical, or is the "extreme" how it should be and we only consider it extreme because of what we are told in our consumerist western world?