Living in the Spirit
September 16, 2022
Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
’Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
I just watched a short clip of a speech, a rant actually, with the speaker pounding his fist on the lectern. He was apparently speaking at a meeting of people who shared the view that white people are better than other people. The speaker was demanding that white people must take back control of our society. His speech was met with loud applause. He reminded me of films I have seen of Hitler making speeches. I also was reminded of the song titled A Satisfied Mind*, which describes the disappointment that having money does not provide life satisfaction, and neither does being white.
Social scientists have a word for this, ethnocentricity. It means characterized by or based on the attitude that one’s own group is superior**. We all have a touch of ethnocentricity. Having healthy self-esteem is important for everyone. Measuring our worth by comparing ourselves to anyone else is self-destructive. We each need to work at being the best person we can be and if we need to compete our best competitor is ourselves.
God created each human in God’s image, a spiritual core in our beings. God also created an interdependent world where to attain maximum satisfaction we must learn to work together and thrive through sharing all our talents and skills in one great beloved community described in the Bible as the Kingdom of God.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the values, we create ourselves rather than striving to live your values. Amen.
See lyrics of A Satisfied Mind at *https://www.google.com/search?q=who+wrote+a+satisfied+mind&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS987US987&oq=Who+wrote+a+satisfied+mind&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j0i390l3.7893j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
**https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnocentric#:~:text=Definition%20of%20ethnocentric,one’s%20own%20group%20is%20superior
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.