The church in Corinth was full of division and schisms. Many in the church were poor: some were slaves and some were former slaves who had been freed. Yet those of wealth and status were also part of the congregation. There were rivalries and divisions among groups who formed around Paul, Apollos, or Peter as their spiritual patrons. There was a lack of respect among the rich and powerful for the poor in their midst. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated as a meal, and in the previous chapter, Paul mentions how during the Lord’s Supper some went away hungry while others were already drunk by the time everyone got there. Those with wealth and status saw themselves as better than those who lived in poverty.
And as we just heard in 1 Corinthians 12, another point of division …was how the members of this church were placing different amounts of value on people based on the kinds of gifts they could bring.
The church in Corinth is full of division and schism. Paul cares about this church, so when word gets to him about what is going on, he sends this letter. He reminds the congregation of the importance of all gifts: different though we are, we are all part of the body of Christ. And we are all needed: “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?”
In his reflection on this passage, Rev. Ben Hensley brought up something I’d never considered before: “Is it possible that a part of the root cause of our division these days comes from us being unable to recognize and respect that each of us carries different burdens, different responsibilities, and different stories with us?”
We see the world through our perspective. Sometimes we might see experiences through the perspectives of those we love. But it “can be so easy to misunderstand when we interpret what someone says or does through the lens of our story, rather than being curious about the lens they carry from their story.” Parker Palmer, the author of Let Your Life Speak, is a cofounder of the Center for Courage and Renewal. The Center’s mission is “to nurture deep integrity and relational trust, building the foundation for a more loving, equitable, and healthy world.” Palmer created conversation touchstones for the Center’s retreats. One of these conversation touchstones is “When the going gets rough, turn to wonder.” This means turning “from reaction and judgment to wonder and compassionate inquiry. Ask yourself, ‘I wonder why they feel/think this way?’ or ‘I wonder what my reaction teaches me about myself?’ Set aside judgment to listen to others— and to yourself—more deeply.”
It’s not what we usually do. Typically, “when the going gets rough, we want to run. Or fight. Or disengage completely. But the idea of turning to wonder instead directs us to sacred curiosity. Instead of thinking ‘What he said really ticked me off!’ We might ask, ‘I wonder why that led me to feel so strongly,’ or ‘I wonder what her story is that led her to say that in such a triggering way for me.’”
Rev. Hensley points out how “Maybe the other person is a toe with a completely different perspective and role when we are a finger, seeing from a completely different vantage point and concerned about something wholly different than a toe would.”
Even when we have nothing in common, though; even when we see no common ground, we can respect each other. Respect comes from the Latin respectus which means “the act of looking at one often, to consider, to observe.” I will often seek to justify where someone might be coming from, but that isn’t always my first response. I understand getting defensive or offended at first… and then I’ll hear more of the story or remember what’s going on for the other person. In the church we sometimes have disagreements about how things should happen, or the direction we’re going. And then I will remember that the person I’m talking to deeply loves this church and wants what is best for the church family. Or if it’s a political conversation, I’ll remember that the person wants Parkersburg, the Mid-Ohio Valley, West Virginia, and/or the United States to thrive: to be a place where they and their loved ones can thrive. That place of thriving isn’t always the same- what benefits one person doesn’t necessarily benefit the next. And sometimes it’s hard to envision how the future could be good when the past was good and everything is changing so that nothing is like it was. And the world seems to get more and more complicated.
Last week was our community meal. I chatted with people a little as they came in, and at one point I decided to get a plate and sit with some members from the community. Vicki has been joining us for Gathering meals and Community meals for a couple of years now. I got to hear more about her story: what’s going on in her life and the life of her daughter. I got to chat with the daughter and the grandkids and just listen. I got to chat briefly with some others from the community who appreciated the meal and the hygiene items. Their lives are so different from my own.
And our lives here are different. We all come with different gifts, as well as different perspectives and life-stories. We aren’t all hands; we aren’t all eyes. But we remain one body. We are kindred- a church family, a community. As Rev. Hensley concludes his reflection: “Could we imagine a world where, ‘If one member suffers, all suffer together with [them]; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with [them]?’ That is the world I hope for and that I stubbornly believe is possible.”
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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