It Aint About Us

REFLECTIONS
January 23, 2011

There is a wonderful story which is set in a football stadium. There are one hundred thousand spectators in the stands. The team with the ball huddles and as the quarterback leans in to speak to the team, a fellow in the stands turns to a friend and says, “I just know they are talking about me.” In a fashion this illustrates what Paul is trying to get at in I Corinthians 1:10-18. He has received word that the Christian community in Corinth is being fractured by different groups claiming their individual beliefs and in some cases individual leadership to all others. In his appeal for unity, he writes pointedly in verses twelve and thirteen, “What I mean is that each of you says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas, or I belong to Christ. Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you Baptized in the name of Paul?” Then in the last verse of the passage he writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Early childhood development specialists tell us that a certain amount of self centeredness is normal in children. There are even names for difficult stages, hence the terms “the terrible twos, or tyrannical threes.” Even as adults, we are told that an amount of selfishness is necessary to maintain healthy self care. Some people, however, do not outgrow the behavior and narcissism becomes a way of life. These folks use the language of possession as in I, me, and mine. Everything in their lives is seen in relation to themselves. Of course, to a measure at times this is how we may relate to our existence, but not to the extent that the world does not exist without us.

Worse still, all too often, in matters of opinion and practice the margin for debate and civilized discussion is razor thin. This leads to the winners being the ones who shout the longest and loudest. This leads to sad and tragic results in everyday life especially as it relates to politics and religion.

Paul saw the clear answer to religious divisiveness. Follow the teachings of Jesus for they are rooted in scripture and are other directed rather than self centered. There is an old John Fogerty song with the line “Who will take the mountains and move then to the sea? I don’t know but it ain’t you or me.” Our brother Paul knew this two thousand years ago and we’re still playing the fools.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601