I CORINTHIANS 1:10-18 | “ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL”

“ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL”

I CORINTHIANS 1:10-18

JANUARY 22, 2017

AMONG MY MOTHER’S MANY COLORFUL SAYINGS WAS THIS ONE:

“ALL THE WORLD IS MAD, EXCEPT FOR ME AND THEE, AND SOMETIMES, I WONDER ABOUT THEE.”

THE TRUTH IS, WE RARELY AGREE WITH EVERYONE, AND IF WITH SOMEONE, NOT EVEN WITH THEM, ALL THE TIME.

THIS IS PART OF WHAT PAUL IS SAYING ABOUT THE CORINTHIANS IN THE FIRST PART, OF HIS FIRST LETTER, TO THEM.

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HIM, THAT SOME IN THE CHURCH ARE NOT GETTING ALONG; WORSE, THEY’VE CHOSEN UP SIDES, BASED UPON WHO BAPTIZED THEM; WHO BROUGHT THEM INTO THE FAITH; AND PAUL WANTS NO PART OF IT.

YOU SEE, NOT EVEN CHURCH PEOPLE GET ALONG ALL THE TIME, AND MAYBE, ESPECIALLY CHURCH PEOPLE, AT TIMES.

THERE ARE BAPTISTS, METHODISTS, EPISCOPALIANS.  THERE ARE PRESBYTERIANS, LUTHERANS, AND CONGREGATIONALISTS.

THERE ARE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, AND JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.  THERE ARE QUAKERS, MORAVIANS, AND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS.

AND THAT’S JUST FOR STARTERS.  NEW CHURCHES SPRING UP ALL THE TIME.  OLD DENOMINATIONS SPLIT AND FORM NEW BRANCHES.

THE QUESTION IS NOT, ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN?  NOT EVEN, ARE YOU A PRESBYTERIAN, BUT WHAT KIND OF PRESBYTERIAN?

A TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF LESS THAN 500 MAY HAVE CHURCHES OF THREE OR FOUR DENOMINATIONS, AND NONE OF THEM A QUARTER FULL ON A GOOD SUNDAY.

THE JOKE IN KEY WEST IS THAT THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY CHURCHES AS THERE ARE BARS; ONLY… THE BARS ARE FULLER.

AT LEAST IN PART, THE REASON FOR ALL OF THESE CHURCHES, AND NOT JUST HERE IN KEY WEST, IS THAT PEOPLE CAN’T GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER – NOT EVEN CHRISTIANS.

YES, THERE ARE MINOR THEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DENOMINATIONS, AND A FEW MAJOR ONES, IN SOME CASES, BUT THAT WHICH WE HAVE IN COMMON, FAR OUTWEIGHS OUR DIFFERENCES;

AND IF YOU WERE TO ASK THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF ANY CONGREGATION TO EXPLAIN THOSE DIFFERENCES, YOU WOULD BE APT TO BE MET WITH A LONG, UNPLEASANT SILENCE.

BUT OFTEN, THE REASON FOR THERE BEING A FIRST, SECOND, EVEN THIRD AND FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ANY GIVEN COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING AKIN TO THE HATFIELD’S AND MCCOY’S; AND AFTER SO MANY YEARS, NO ONE CAN EVEN REMEMBER WHAT STARTED THE FEUD.

WILLIAM BOOTH, THE FOUNDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY, SPENT MANY YEARS REACHING OUT TO THE POOR AND NEEDY IN THE STREETS OF LONDON.

EVERY CHRISTMAS, LONDON CHURCHES SENT OUT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE STREETS TO INVITE THE POOR TO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS.

HUGE CROWDS WOULD GATHER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS ANNUAL OUTPOURING OF GENEROSITY.

THE ANGLICANS BEGAN BY ANNOUNCING, “ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ANGLICANS, COME WITH US.”  THE ROMAN CATHOLICS FOLLOWED: “ALL WHO ARE CATHOLIC, COME WITH US.”

THEN THE METHODISTS, LUTHERANS, AND ALL OTHER DENOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED, “WHOEVER IS WITH US, COME WITH US.”

FINALLY, WHEN ALL THE CHURCH REPRESENTATIVES HAD MADE THEIR INVITATIONS AND LEFT, A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE REMAINED MILLING ABOUT.

AT THAT POINT, WILLIAM BOOTH WOULD STEP OUT OF THE CROWD AND SHOUT OUT TO THE PEOPLE, “ALL OF YOU WHO BELONG TO NO ONE, COME WITH ME!”

THE REASON I BEGAN WITH THE DIVISION, AND LACK OF UNITY IN THE CHURCH, IS BECAUSE 1. THAT’S WHERE PAUL BEGINS; AND 2. TO REMIND US THAT WE ARE NO BETTER THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD, WHEN IT COMES TO UNITY VERSUS DIVISIVENESS.

AS A NATION, WE’VE CERTAINLY SEEN IT OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS IN OUR COUNTRY, WITH OPPOSING FORCES CHALLENGING THE LEGITIMACY OF PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND OFTEN DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO BLOCK HIS EFFORTS.

WHAT WAS BAD, GOT WORSE DURING THE ELECTION SEASON;

AND, AS WE SEE, WITH THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP, IT’S UNLIKELY TO GET ANY BETTER IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS; AS A NEW OPPOSITION, WILL NOW STEP UP CHALLENGING HIS EFFORTS.

THOSE WHO ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO GET OVER IT, IN MANY CASES, ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T GET OVER IT THEMSELVES, IN THE LAST 8 YEARS.

DO YOU HEAR THE ECHOES OF THE CORINTHIANS?  I BELONG TO APOLLOS.  I BELONG TO CEPHAS.  OBAMA… I BELONG TO TRUMP… I BELONG TO HILLARY… I BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST.

BUT, IT’S NOT JUST THE CHURCH, OR THE BODY POLITIC; IT’S ME AND THEE, AND SOMETIMES I WONDER ABOUT THEE; AS I AM SURE YOU DO ABOUT ME.

THERE IS DIVISION BY RACE, COLOR, AND CREED.

THERE IS DIVISION BETWEEN THE ONE-PERCENTERS AND THE 99%.

DID YOU SEE THE STORY THIS PAST WEEK, USING FORBES LIST OF RICHEST PEOPLE, WHERE 8 PEOPLE OWN OVER HALF THE WEALTH IN THE WORLD?

EIGHT PEOPLE ARE WORTH MORE, THAN HALF THE WORLD!

SO, YES, THERE ARE DIVISIONS BETWEEN RICH AND POOR; BY GENERATIONS; BY RELIGION; BY IDEOLOGY AND MINDSET; BY GENDER; BY WHERE YOU’RE FROM, AND WHO YOUR ANCESTORS WERE; AND YES, BY WHICH FOOTBALL TEAM YOU ROOT FOR!

IN MANY WAYS, THE IDEA OF “ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL,” THESE DAYS, LOOKS LESS LIKE – THE THREE MUSKETEERS, AND MORE LIKE, THE THREE STOOGES.

IN A USA TODAY ARTICLE PREVIEWING THE UPCOMING PBS SPECIAL BY KEN BURNS ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR (COMING IN SEPTEMBER), THE REPORTER BEGAN THE ARTICLE:

“NO, THIS IS NOT THE MOST DIVIDED AMERICA HAS EVER BEEN.  NOT BY A LONG SHOT.  THERE WAS THE CIVIL WAR, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT MORE RECENTLY, THERE WAS THE WAR IN VIETNAM – A CONFLICT THAT SPARKED GENERATIONAL AND RACIAL CONFLICT, SPLIT FAMILIES, AND LED TO BATTLES IN THE STREETS, SOME OF THEM FATAL.

MANY OF OUR DIVISIONS WERE BORN IN THE MILITARY, POLITICAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND FAMILIAL CONFLICTS THAT SURROUNDED VIETNAM, A WAR THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF 58,000 AMERICANS.”

SO, WHEN THE APOSTLE PAUL APPEALS TO THOSE HE CALLS, “BROTHERS AND SISTERS” THAT THEY “ALL BE IN AGREEMENT, AND THAT THERE BE NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU…”

AND FURTHER, “THAT YOU BE UNITED IN THE SAME MIND AND THE SAME PURPOSE…” IS HE ASKING TOO MUCH?

IS HE BEING TOO OPTIMISTIC – ASKING – “CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?”

PERHAPS, HE IS.

NO, THERE’S NO “PERHAPS” ABOUT IT; PAUL IS ASKING TOO MUCH; HE IS EXPECTING TOO MUCH; EVEN FROM A BUNCH OF CHURCH PEOPLE; AND HISTORY HAS PROVEN HIM RIGHT:

NOT ONLY CAN’T ME AND THEE, GET ALONG; HEAVEN HELP, US AND THEM!

NO WONDER THE WORLD NEEDS A SAVIOR!

AND THIS MAY BE TO PAUL’S POINT: IT’S ONLY WITH HEAVEN’S HELP, ONLY IN CHRIST; ONLY BY WHAT PAUL CALLS “THE POWER OF GOD” THAT WE CAN EVEN GET CLOSE TO AGREEING WITH EACH OTHER, AND EVEN THEN, ONLY PART OF THE TIME.

IN THIS WAY, PAUL IS FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF JESUS HIMSELF.  JESUS WAS FOREVER ASKING PEOPLE TO DO IMPOSSIBLE THINGS:

LOVE OUR ENEMIES; PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US; TURN THE OTHER CHEEK; LIVE THE GOLDEN RULE; LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES; ASSIST THE “LEAST OF THESE” AS IF WE WERE HELPING CHRIST HIMSELF.

JESUS WASN’T SHY ABOUT ASKING, REQUESTING, COMMANDING, AND COMMISSIONING US, TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE; AT THE VERY LEAST – TO AIM FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE;

AND, (AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT) IT WAS ALSO JESUS WHO SAID IN THE VARIOUS GOSPELS:

“WITH MAN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, WITH GOD, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.”

ON THIS, JESUS AND PAUL, AND HOPEFULLY ME AND THEE, CAN AGREE;

WITH US IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

IT IS FOR THIS REASON, THAT WE KEEP TRYING.

IT’S WHY PEOPLE KEEP BUILDING CHURCHES; AND FOUNDING CONGREGATIONS; AND FINDING WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER WITHIN DENOMINATIONS, AND WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS; TO DO THE WORK OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM.

IT IS WHY LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE KEEP STRIVING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS, AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, FIND A WAY TO TALK TO THOSE OF UNLIKE-MINDS, IN EFFORT TO FIND COMPROMISE; TO WORK TOGETHER, FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

THIS IS WHY INTERFAITH DIALOGUE IS IMPORTANT; WHY NATIONS MUST TALK TO EACH OTHER, AND WORK WITH EACH OTHER.

IT’S WHY WE NEED TO GET TO KNOW THOSE WHO ARE NOT LIKE US; WHATEVER IT IS THAT MAKES US AND THEM, ME AND THEE, DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER – SO AS, TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.

IT’S WHY WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO BRIDGE THE GAP, THE GROWING CHASM BETWEEN THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTS; WHY RICH AND POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS REALLY NEED TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER, TO FIND A WAY OUT OF THIS MESS.

IT’S WHY BLACKS AND WHITES AND HISPANICS AND ASIANS AND EVERY OTHER SUB-SET OF HOWEVER WE DIVIDE OURSELVES UP BY RACE, COLOR, AND CREED; BY NATIONALITY, GENDER, AND WHATEVER ELSE DIVIDES US –

NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, TO FIND WAYS TO LIVE TOGETHER.

IS ALL THIS SOME SORT OF PIPE DREAM?  OF COURSE, IT IS!  IS IT IMPOSSIBLE?  WITH US, YES; WITH GOD, A LITTLE LESS SO;

UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT’S THE “GOD-STUFF” THAT’S CAUSING THE DIVISIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

MANY OF US KNOW THE BIBLICAL STORY OF JONAH.  IF WE CAN GET BEYOND THE PART ABOUT JONAH BEING SWALLOWED BY A WHALE, WE MIGHT JUST BEGIN TO SEE WHAT HIS STORY IS ABOUT.

JONAH IS A PROPHET, CALLED BY GOD, TO SPEAK TO A PEOPLE (THE NINEVITES) WHO THE PROPHET DOES NOT LIKE.  IN FACT, HE REFUSES TO SPEAK TO THEM, RUNNING IN THE EXACT OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THEM, AND FROM GOD.

IT’S WHEN JONAH IS TRYING TO SAIL AWAY FROM NINEVAH, AND THE NINEVITES, AND GOD, THAT HE WINDS UP GETTING TOSSED INTO THE DRINK BY HIS FELLOW SAILORS IN EFFORT TO APPEASE GOD, THAT JONAH GETS SWALLOWED BY THE WHALE.

WHICH, YOU MAY REMEMBER, SPITS HIM OUT ON THE SHORES OF, OF ALL PLACES, NINEVAH.  GOD KEEPS PUSHING JONAH BACK TO NINEVAH.

TO ME, THIS STORY SHOWS THAT THE LOVE OF GOD DOES NOT HAVE BOUNDARIES.

NATIONS HAVE BOUNDARIES, AND PEOPLE HAVE BOUNDARIES, AND PREJUDICE AND FEAR HAVE BOUNDARIES.  BUT THE LOVE OF GOD HAS NO BOUNDARIES.

AND ANYTIME WE IMPOSE A HUMAN BOUNDARY ON THE LOVE OF GOD, WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING UN-GOD-LIKE; ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY, EVIL, CRUEL, DESTRUCTIVE.

IF GOD CAN LOVE EVEN THE NINEVITES, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING BIGGER GOING ON HERE.

IT GOES BEYOND JUST TOLERATING PEOPLE.  IT GOES ON TO ACCEPTANCE AND AFFIRMATION OF PEOPLE – NOT DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCE, BUT BECAUSE OF THEM.

IT GOES TO GOD’S LOVE KNOWING NO BOUNDARIES.

FOR THIS REASON ALONE, IF FOR NO OTHER: WE SHOULD NOT LOWER OUR EXPECTATIONS; WE SHOULD NOT SHOOT FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION; WE SHOULD NOT LOWER OUR STANDARDS FOR LIVING OUR LIVES, JUST BECAUSE OTHERS DO.

“INSOFAR AS IS POSSIBLE,” PAUL WRITES ELSEWHERE, IN HIS LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS:

“WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS JUST, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS PLEASING, WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE, IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE, IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE…

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.  KEEP ON DOING THE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED AND RECEIVED AND HEARD AND SEEN IN ME, AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.”

DON’T YOU SEE…?  THIS IS HOW WE LIVE.  THIS IS HOW WE LEARN.  THIS IS HOW WE GET ALONG:

BY BEING AS AGREEABLE AS POSSIBLE; BY LIMITING OUR DIVISIVENESS; BY WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE OF OUR DIFFERENCES; BY UNITING AS BEST, WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN, IN MIND AND PURPOSE.

WE WILL NEVER BE COMPLETELY SURE ABOUT ME AND THEE; MUCH LESS US AND THEM; BUT IF WE DON’T TRY, WE’VE LOST ALREADY.

AS PEOPLE OF FAITH, WITH OTHER PEOPLE OF FAITH, GOD HELP US, AND I MEAN THAT LITERALLY;

WE MIGHT, AT LEAST, BE BETTER PEOPLE THAN WE WOULD BE OTHERWISE;

AND MAYBE WE’D MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TOO.