A Dark, Smelly Place

“And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31 ESV)

I want to get it straight from the beginning that I think American politics is a cesspool. The bulk of it consists of what might otherwise be sensible people willingly abandoning their capacity to reason in favor of making political “points.” Shrill cries and denunciations, demonization, hyperbole, and outright dishonesty are the order of the day in the best of circumstances. When tragedy strikes, otherwise horrendous discourse becomes even worse as sides jockey for position. There exists a pervasive delusion that if we can only convince our fellows to arrange society in the way we think best, by whatever means, we will be able to create paradise on Earth. This attitude coincides with the logical counterpoint that if our opponents win the day it will represent the triumph of Satan. All of this ignores the fact that in the overall spectrum of political ideas the differences between the so-called “left” and “right” in America are almost indistinguishable. It also ignores that humans, left to their own devices, cannot create paradise, only hell.

So having said all that I will venture a bold statement here that no one can be blamed more than anyone else for what happened in Arizona this last weekend, except for the lone gunman who actually planned and carried out the attack. It is painful. To look at the sunny face of the beautiful little girl who lost her life in this tragic way, it just tears my heart out. I can only scarcely imagine the anguish her parents must feel at such a profound loss. And all of us have lost something. It engenders an enormous sadness in me; I think in many it provokes outrage that seeks a target. I also think, to illustrate the depravity of American politics, that in some it presents an opportunity to score political “points.” All of this is very human. It is not new to American politics or to human affairs.

One of the greatest lines in the movies occurs in The African Queen when Charlie Allnut protests that to drink to excess is “only human nature.” Rose Sayer, played by the inimitable Katherine Hepburn, responds “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.” Well, I don’t know that we can say categorically that is why we are put here, but Scripture does tell us unequivocally that as Christians we are called to a higher standard than that of the world.

In the verse quoted above from 1 Corinthians Paul introduces the famous chapter concerning love. Most Christians probably know but I think it instructive to point out that this chapter, cited so often in reference to human romantic emotion, was not given to the Christians at Corinth to inspire them but to rebuke them. The church at Corinth suffered from division, factionalism, open sexual immorality, favoritism, and spiritual pride, among I’m sure every other human failing. They had accepted the gospel gladly but they had not been changed by it. Rather than undergoing transformation by the Holy Spirit and becoming a community set apart to draw people to the gospel by their behavior (1 Pet. 2:9, John 13:35, Mt. 5:16), the Corinthians had made their church community look little different from the surrounding society, little different from the world. Rather than a force to reshape the world, the church had been shaped by the world. Paul wrote the letter we call 1 Corinthians to admonish the church there and to remind them of how they were called to behave as Christians.

Go and read chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians and consider it in light of your emotions and your actions. In verses 4-7 replace the word “love” with your own name. “Keith is patient and kind; Keith does not envy or boast; …is not arrogant or rude …does not insist on its own way; …is not irritable or resentful; …does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Keith bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” I am embarrassed. How do you measure up? If we are honest we cannot but acknowledge our inadequacy to live up to this standard. Nevertheless it is what we are called to as followers of Christ. As humans we are incapable, but in Christ we have strength (John 16:33).

Now let us consider Paul’s rebuke in our own circumstances. In the midst of the present tragedy, as at all times, how must a Christian act? Are we to succumb to the temptation to join in the chorus of recrimination and condemnation, or are we to “rise above,” to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world? What would that look like? The Sheriff of Pima County Clarence Dupnik suggested on the day of the shooting that the nation ought to “do a little soul searching.” Well, I guess I second that, except that I don’t believe it will. But I do think that as followers of Christ we must seriously ask ourselves how we can shine the light of Christ in the world, rather than swimming in the darkness of the cesspool. I think we will discover it looks very little like what we are naturally inclined to.