Have you ever wondered why it was people from Eurasia that conquered the world? Why not the other way around? Why didn’t the people who lived in what is now North and South America, for example, come to present day Europe and Asia and establish dominance? In his book “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” Jared Diamond talks about just that. Diamond argues that the answer had nothing to do with differences in intelligence or genetics. Rather it all came down to resources and geography. Resources especially made a difference. For example, try to name as many domesticated animals that people have used over the centuries to help with things such as transportation, farming, and other burdensome tasks. Here is an incomplete list for you to start with:
- Horses
- Donkeys
- Camels
- Llamas
- Mules
- Pigs
- Cows
- Goats
- Sheep
- Reindeer
Diamond’s book points out that there are 14 valuable large domesticated animals. Can you guess how many came from outside of Europe and Asia?
Only one, the llama.
The rest of the world didn’t stand a chance. They just didn’t have the resources. The Eurasians were able to use these animals to farm land and build bigger cities. Bigger cities meant more disease, which led to more resistance to these diseases over time. When the first settlers came to the “New World” they brought with them diseases that the natives had no immunity for. So many native people to North and South America died just because of the spread of these germs.
Resources have driven the course of history. They still do. How many wars have been fought over resources? I would guess that pretty much all of them have in some way. Even the Crusades were in part motivated by a desire for more resources. The Byzantine Emperor was motivated to help in the hope of regaining lost territory. And Knights from Europe joined in the Crusades not only to defend Christianity, but to gain material wealth as a result of the spoils of war.
We teach our kids what to do with resources early on don’t we? We call it sharing. The bible has a lot to say about this concept.
Proverbs 22:9
The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.
Acts 2:44
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
It is hard to share resources isn’t it? Even at the most basic level it is tough. At what age do children learn to do it, on average? Many parents think that their toddlers are quite capable of sharing toys with others, but that isn’t often realistic. Children often learn to share around 3.5 to 4 years old, but the concept of sharing may not become fully engrained until kids reach the age of 8. I once heard a childhood preschool teacher say that sharing happens when people value relationships over things.
War is just the opposite of sharing in a way. War is what happens when people value things over relationships. Resources become so important that countries are willing to destroy relationships in order to get at them.
The best way to make friends is to share something with them. It could be your time or abilities or your service. Jesus did that all the time. He spent time with people. He shared his food with them. He showed genuine interest. Jesus says life isn’t about resources. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Life should be about relationships. The Christian life should be about sharing with others. It should be about building relationships.
What have people shared with you that stands out in your life?
What happens when you share something with others? Jesus taught us that wonderful things can happen when we value relationships the most.
God Bless