How would we answer
Our unique lifestyle is seeking independent living rather than a Socialist approach to society. This may appear in many ways. We home schooled our children. We depend on being in business for ourselves rather than employment. In this area which is away from the city allowed for a better environment to raise children. we do not normally borrow if we can help it so our economy is based on what we can afford rather than borrowing to get things now and spend years to pay it back at interest.
While we still seek to be a part of society in service and sacrifice we do not seek to force society to provide for us. To learn to live by faith, hope and charity like the early Christians rather than forcing our neighbor to provide benefits for us through the agency of government has become unique in this modern age but was common when America was becoming a great nation.
Our objective as a minister of Christ is to do this and teach and serve others while living "in the World but not of it". This creates another unique set of obstacles for ministers of Christ and their families as the World changes around us. Most Modern Christians and there Modern ministers do not understand this because they are very much of the World.
The command to "be ye separate" is first to the ministers of the Church and means to be separate from the ways of society that are contrary to Christ. Socialism is contrary to Christ because he was not a socialist. And it is the true Christian and their ministers objective to follow the ways of God like the days of Moses when the people came out of bondage, the days of John the Baptist when the people repented of the Corban of the government of Herod and Rome and shared with the needy in ways that both provided in love and strengthened the poor. And finally like Christ who repeated the words of Moses when he said love one another and thy neighbor as themselves. Christ called us that we learn to be separate in our ways of living in society while keeping the commandments like not coveting our neighbors goods or forcing them to provide us with care or security. This had been the way of America. The ministers of the Church to the people, both friend and stranger, must be separate first in order to help others conform to Christ which is the destinations of the faithful and the businesses of the Church.
Well I have been lambing all night in the snow. the weather turned cold so I wrote this in between deliveries. I have to be on the radio in a few hours so need some sleep.
Peace on your house, Brother Gregory at HisHolyChurch.org Minister of His Church At Summer Lake