Love Builds Up

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”  1 Corinthains 8:1

In a recent conversation with one of the pastors of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod we were discussing the need for a renewal of individual faith practices like prayer, worship and the reading of scripture among Lutherans.  In the course of our conversation, the pastor mentioned Nikolaus von Zinzendorf’s “Order of the Mustard Seed.”  Zinzendorf was a Moravian reformer from the 18^th century who worked passionately for the renewal of the church of his day.  Those in Zinzendorf’s Order made a simple (and not so simple) commitment to one another to (1) be true to Christ, (2) be kind to all people and (3) to take the Gospel into the world.  That’s an Order I think I could join and a commitment that I think is sorely needed in today’s divisive and hurting world. 

Paul’s discussion about eating meat offered to idols in 1 Corinthians 8, I think, is reflected in the core commitments of the Order of the Mustard Seed and more generally in the practice of the Christian faith.   Being true to Christ does not allow us to believe whatever seems to work for us without any regard for it’s impact on others.  Being true to Christ is never, ultimately about ME.  Like the prophets of old, Jesus regularly challenged unhealthy and unholy faith practices that injured, judged and marginalized people.  He demonstrated kindness toward all…  even those who nailed him to a cross.  Now, kindness does not mean ignoring injustice or being nice all the time.  It means engaging the world around us with compassion, with a deep regard for the other’s common status as a creation of a loving God, and, as Luther says in his explanation of the 8^th commandment, to “come to [a neighbor’s] defense, speak well of them and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.”  It means that if eating food offered to idols is going to, in some way, distract, mislead, confuse or hurt another person, we shouldn’t do it.  (Maybe this was the origin of “political correctness”?)  As we live the good news of the Gospel in the world through service, witness, advocacy and invitation, we go with this kind of humility and compassion for all those we meet.  We take the Good News of God’s love, grace, forgiveness and mercy in Jesus Christ into the world to build up our neighbor in love, and to discover together how God’s love is already at work in both our lives.  Paul reminds us that our neighbor is someone for whom Christ died…  just like us…  and because of that, we need to do all we can to value them as much as Christ values us. 

Faith is not primarily about what we know.  It is about how we live – day in and day out – reflecting the love we first received as a gift through Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Bishop Mike

Thanks for reading!