When One of us Suffers…
In the magnificent chapter on the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) Paul is writing to the faction torn church in Corinth where various groups thought they were special, and others were less or even unimportant. He points out in verse 26 that when one member of the body suffers the whole body suffers and when one rejoices the whole body rejoices. To be sure, Paul was writing to a deeply divided church, but it would be a mistake to think what Paul was saying only applies to the church. His wisdom includes not only the church - it can also be applied to all of humanity! Both in the church and beyond, we are deeply and profoundly connected to one another. We often may not recognize it, but the reality still holds true, when one person suffers, we all suffer. Just because we may not consciously realize it does not alter the reality – when any one of us (i.e., any human being) suffers, we all suffer. The same applies to joy, even if we do not recognize it.
I was reminded of the truth and power of this reality two times over the last 7 days. The first was a “community” funeral I led on Saturday. I did not know the person or her family at all. (The more I learned about her listening to others share at her service the more I wished I had known her.) But as I listened to their sharing, both the pain of loss and the joy of times shared, I found myself feeling both their joy and their sadness. We were all connected even though I didn’t know a single person there until a daughter-in-law and son called me late last week. We were all connected even though the large gathering of people was about as varied as you could imagine.
The second time was the senseless murders of 8 people in Atlanta. Some are trying to paint this as the result of a sex addiction. The fact that all 3 establishments, where these murders took place were Asian-American, would seem to me to tell a different story. I am sure more will come out in the near future. From what I have learned so far, this tragic event appears to have the tell-tale marks of white supremacy and racism. It may or may not meet the legal definition of a hate crime. Regardless it was a crime of hate. And there is no reason that sex addiction and hatred can not both be motives. They are not automatically mutually exclusive.
Some might say I am becoming political and offering a certain viewpoint. This is simply not true! Hatred, violence, racism, bigotry, sexism and similar “isms” are not political issues they are moral issues. The biblical witness is grounded in the moral understanding that every person, regardless of skin color, sex, economic status or any other label we might chose, is a child of God and of infinite and precious worth in the eyes of God. This the only moral drumbeat worthy of our allegiance. This requires we see one another not as “us and “them” but as simply “us”.
One of the many things I appreciate about my friend, Bob Flesch, are the pictures he posts on Facebook of the magnificent sunsets over the Gulf and Bay. I find these posts are always a gift and a reminder that God’s creation is filled with many different colors and together they are breathtakingly beautiful. God’s use of color is all through creation from sunsets to flowers to people. And when they are in harmony it is a beautiful sight to behold!
Racism, Sexism, Bigotry, Violence and Hatred only lead to suffering and we all have suffered (some of course as direct victims, more intensely and more obviously) too long from their poison. Its time to chart a new course that yields joy instead. Not a one of us can do it all, but each of us can begin to make a difference by choosing to follow the ways of our Lord to value and respect every person we encounter. We are all “us”. We have been called to nothing less.
Grace and Peace, John