Ordinary Time

January 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. –1 Corinthians 1:1-3

The Greek word, charis*, translated as grace, is preeminently used of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people. Grace is a very appropriate greeting in a letter reminding the recipient of God’s loving presence and blessing. The Greek word, eiréné**, translated here as peace, describes a sense of wholeness—when all essential parts are joined together.

I must confess that definition of peace surprised this introvert who, on occasion, longs for time alone and considers that to be peaceful. I had to remind myself that much of my alone time is tied to trying to discern wholeness in our fragmented world***. As a retiree who now devotes by choice time to advocacy work, I identify more with the phrase peace, peace, when there is no peace, which is found in Jeremiah 6:14 as well as Jeremiah 8:11. and in Ezekiel 13:10 and 16. However, we all must remember that wholeness, when all essential parts are joined together, is the goal or should be the goal of all advocacy. The greatest challenge in advocacy when a perceived wrong is trying to be corrected, is that first we understand that God is the final authority regarding justice and righteousness, I do not get to define it. In most instances, the people who are supporting their version of the issue believe as deeply as I do that the justice and righteousness they desire is of God.

Getting into I can out-scripture you fights never work. What worked for Jesus was listening to the stories of the ones he was trying to help. Walking beside them and helping even his very human disciples to recognize righteousness in their interactions. Sometimes when we are working to make systemic changes with all its paperwork and give and take, we probably need to seek peace among those we are trying to serve. We might even want to take someone with us from the other side of the issue and try to understand why we see the situation and solutions so differently. Who knows we might find common grounds for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand ourselves as we try to understand others. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm**https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm

***Taken from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) identity statement, We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one Body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us. – Disciples of Christ Identity Statement

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.