Epiphany
February 2, 2017
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
–1 Corinthians 2:1-5
What we say or write matters. How we say something or write it matters. Words coming from our mouths or keyboards broadcast through people’s reception systems, which always filters them based on the receivers’ experiences and beliefs. Is it any wonder that Paul began his preaching with much trembling? He carried the weight of sharing the love of God to strangers with different languages and customs and their own gods and religious practices. We must choose our words carefully and we must be willing to revisit conversations where misunderstandings occur.
I wrote a document recently for a Commission on which I serve outlining some ideas regarding ways churches might reduce racism. I emailed it to the other members of the group and asked for comments. The first response I received was a retired minister whose primary comment was that if he were still a senior minister, he probably would never have read it at all. It was too long. He was right. We live in a world of 250 characters. I do exactly what he was describing myself. I get numerous emails every day from respected sources but rarely get past the first paragraph of many of them. Some I leave on my computer thinking I will get back to them but rarely do.
How do we demonstrate Spirit and power in a 250-character driven world? How do we build the Kingdom of God in the digital age? How do we deepen our understanding amid the beautiful diversity in which we find ourselves? How do we overpower evil with good? How do we love like Jesus loves?
Paul juggled these questions and determined the only way he could answer his call to minister to the gentiles was to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ. I think it is a human tendency to project our righteousness as God’s justice. I think Paul is saying we need to squelch that desire, let go of our self-defined righteousness, and worked diligently toward identifying with God’s.
Prayer: Lord, changing decades of definitions regarding what is just and what is not is hard. Trying to find common ground among diverse people is a challenge. All good and right things are possible through you. Use our lives as resources toward building your Kingdom. Amen.