Poverty of Spirit?
09 Oct 2011 2 Comments
in Bible Essays, Faith, God, Philippians Tags: God's love, Philippians, poverty of spirit, tragedies
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen. (Phil 4:12-14, 19-20)
It is, quite clear that Paul is not speaking literally when he speaks of having learned “the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry.” What on earth could that mean? Is their some secret to feeling less hungry? Paul tells us to fill up our stomachs with water to lessen the pains of hunger! No, I hardly think that is the message.
Paul is quite clearly telling us that our present physical situation is irrelevant, it’s how we are choosing to react to it that is. And he is saying that our faith is our strength, it is what gives meaning and the framework for assessing our true situation.
Have you ever had occasion to grumble about some problem that plagues you at the moment, only to be reminded suddenly of what real pain and suffering are all about? Television has the magic ability to place us in the tent cities of Haiti and in shelters in Japan, where people try to cope with having lost everything and often everyone in their lives. Then that pesky problem with the car mechanic comes into true focus doesn’t it?
Paul is saying essentially the same thing. God’s blessings and love for us give us the context of our true situation. We can see that our problems, big or small do not in any way dent or mar in the smallest measure that treasure which is God. It is from that framework that we can quietly and with confidence and calmness, make choices to move forward.
God truly will supply all that we need for the undertaking. He provides that shelter of love and perfect care that enables us to move with the assurance that we are not alone, not ever.
This is never to minimize the agonies that can assail any one of us at any time. Religion is often blamed for offering people words of comfort while they die of hunger. This absolves none of us from our duty as God’s stewards to help each other to the very best of our abilities. It absolves no government from its responsibility to hold up its end of the social compact.
What is means quite simply is that wringing our hands and falling into depression and thus coming to a halt over our crises throughout life is not the answer. In fact, God gives us, as Paul points out, “in all circumstances and in all things” what we need to go on. For Paul it meant that he might go to bed hungry, but tomorrow he would still preach the Gospel to willing ears. The next day, God willing, some soul would offer to share a meal, and that would sustain for another day.
Perhaps we needs stand back and stop looking so far down the road, but turn to our companions in sorrow, and focus on each other and the next step. Surely we can make that one next step? Surely we can. And tomorrow will take care of tomorrow.
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Doing God’s Will
25 Sep 2011 5 Comments
in Bible Essays, God, Jesus, Matthew, Philippians, Social Justice Tags: essays, God, Matthew, Philippians, social issues
We live in perilous times. From our limited perspective, that is always true.
We argue and, sadly, even war about who is right and who is not just wrong, but evil, or destructive of life as we perceive it.
We condemn, we demean, we paint with broad brush those whom we see as opposed to our way of thinking.
In our readings today, we are cautioned about such a stance. “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory, rather regard others as more important than yourselves,” the writer of Philippians says.
And this is bolstered by the Gospel reading from Matthew where Jesus points out that those who actually do God’s will rather than mouth obedience, will enter the Kingdom ahead of the breast-beating but other-acting believers.
We do well to ask ourselves in which category we stand.
We do in fact live in a time of great social upheaval. Our Muslim and Arab brothers and sisters around the globe are redefining their place in the world and how they wish their governments to operate. At home, our ethnic and sexual tapestry is changing before our eyes.
In all this, we have differing positions as to what is right and what in fact is God’s will. Some of us think that we know, and we are prepared to act accordingly. Others of us, while not nearly so sure, at least believe that God’s will cannot include denial of rights, or actual harm to any of creation to further our perceptions.
Jesus seems to indicate that we should be most careful when we tend toward condemning those who we traditionally think of as “wrong” and sinful. They in fact, may be much closer to the Kingdom than we think.
If we think about it, we must apply such reasoning to all people today who are engaged in judgment about and against others. That includes those who of us who define ourselves as “progressive”. I certainly am not suggesting that we may be the one’s who are wrong, for I truly do not believe that to be the case, but we could be. And that should temper our rhetoric such that we disagree with a modicum of respect and Christian love.
For, if we are right in our thinking about issues involving religion, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation, we can speak those truths as we see them, without resorting to hateful and mean-spirited speech. First and foremost because when we do, we cannot convince anyone of anything, all that comes forth is the hatred, a hatred that burns up the message it attempts to carry.
But most of all, we lose whatever “right” we had to be at the head of the line. We place ourselves deliberately back with those whom we would argue are behind the prostitutes and tax collectors that Jesus spoke of.
We must speak with love and patience to those who still cannot see what we see. For in the end, it is more important to do the will of God than to enforce the will of God as we believe it to be. Since we must be ever mindful that “God’s ways are not our ways,” we can take no other stance.
Amen.
** reference Phil. 2: 1-5 and Mt 21: 28-32
Related articles
- “The tax collectors and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (worryisuseless.wordpress.com)
