Thursday, September 3, 2020

Essential Rivals

 

Thursday, September 3, 2020

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  1 Corinthians 12:12a
The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.”  The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  1 Corinthians 12:21
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.  1 Corinthians 12:26

It is all so very connected; politics, religion, love, sex, money, breathing, or anything else you care to name.  The muse for this post is from a Facebook post of a friend, the pictured Native American’s wisdom about wings of the bird as part of the same body.  Of course, the older source would be Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church.  We are, indeed, the body, albeit connected in some very strange ways.  Yup...that same crazy bird in the middle is us…humanity.  We are an incredibly complex dodo bird!  And we need every part!

What plucks this analogy string so annoyingly resonant, today, is this time of year in a quadrennial political season.  Pandemic notwithstanding, the political push has been quieter, but lurking, nonetheless.  It seems to have ramped up lately, as the push toward November elections draws near. 

With limited space, and a huge subject (especially for a 5-minute devotional), let me get right to the point:

If we are so connected, how can we think anyone is useless?

Yet, you hear it every day: 

·       Republicans think Democrats belong in recycling. 

·       Democrats demonize Republicans. 

·       With every mention of, or sighting of Black Lives Matter, the Blue, White, Red, Asian, Gender-specific, Straight, or Whatever Lives cry for equal time. 

Preferential treatment, by definition, places one person’s value over another’s. 

And here’s the rub, in any arena, with any part of the analogy you care to push: 

Wings on the same bird were designed by our Creator to balance each other, to support each other, and keep us moving along, soaring, going higher.

But, when the wings on that bird are so busy swatting each other, that bird is going down!

From a Christian perspective, with all the backing of Holy Scripture to strengthen that previous statement, and empower the church to live it, even with the power to shame us into living it, we still can’t get it right.  Traditional-thinking Christians demonize Progressive-leaning Christians…and the blessing is returned.  And we get better at swatting each other as time passes. 

What a pitiful example of Christ’s love!

If you’re of age, and inclination, this November you’ll cast a vote.  The election will be over, there will be a President.  Four years later (if the eagle hasn’t crashed and burned) we’ll do it again.

Keep the perspective that governments, movements, news cycles and your 401K are all temporary; the soul of another person is permanent.  Act with care accordingly!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!


VIDEO

Title image Facebook post from a friend, Fran Grabowski 9/1/20  The title for this post borrows on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s work, Team of Rivals, how Abraham Lincoln turned his political opposition into a team that helped save America as a union.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on 1 Corinthians 12 see: We Are the Body of Christ and Holy Mixtures - Part 5


 

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