Epiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
February 6, 2015

 Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.  — 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

 The word translated as “win” in our scripture today is the Greek kerdaínō – properly, to profit (gain), an ancient mercantile term for exchanging (trading) one good for another; (figuratively) to exchange (trade out) what is mediocre (“good”) for the better, i.e. “trading up” (cf. Js 4:13).*

We are each called as followers of Christ to help others gain a relationship with God or gain a better relationship with God like we gain through our discipleship to Jesus Christ. When we build on that firm foundation we are freed to accept others exactly where they are and freed from judging their progress toward their relationship with God. It is a paradox but it is true that when I have entered into deep discussions with people who hold other beliefs than I do within Christianity or are of other faiths all together, I have been made a better Christian. I have had to go back to that firm foundation and re-member what it means in my life as a disciple and to discern what is really important. I do share in the blessing of such discourse. Our individual relationships with God are indeed personal and unique. Our collective relationship with God is interdependent and diverse.

Last summer I toured Turkey and on several occasions entered sacred buildings used by other faiths. My living out my love of God and my love of my neighbor dictated that I follow their traditions of covering my head and removing my shoes. I became a better Christian by following my faith’s love practices and perhaps in so doing helped those of other faiths grow through their love traditions toward that closer relationship with God.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for freeing me from the job of judging and allowing me to grow in the job I have been assigned of loving. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/2770.htm

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.