Foolishness
In today’s scripture passage, Paul talks about foolishness. This is not a frequent topic in scripture. The Greek word for foolishness, μωρία, is used only three times in the Bible, and solely in this first letter to the church in Corinth.
Paul is talking about the reception people justifiably have to the gospel of Jesus, what he refers to as “the message about the cross.” Free of context, that message doesn’t make much sense. A humble man with no army supporting him proceeded to tour a land occupied by a powerful empire and teach about a way of life that ran counter to that supported by the emperor and local authorities. He spoke of giving up the pursuit of wealth in favor of making sure everyone had enough. He spoke of the lowly being lifted up at the expense of the mighty. He spoke of a kin-dom without a human king.
He was elusive at times, but ultimately he chose to take his message to the seat of power, to the dwelling place of those most threatened by his teachings. Then, once in the hands of the authorities, he didn’t say the things that might have spared his life. He was killed by capital punishment, in a method designed to torture and humiliate. When he departed the earth, he left behind only his followers, his teachings, and his example.
I guess Paul is on to something. None of this seems wise, or to represent an example someone would want to follow. “Foolishness” sums it up.
Yet two thousand years after his execution, an increasing number of people are choosing to follow Jesus. And the cross, that cruel method of execution, has become a symbol for the different way of life he preached.
Yet those to whom Paul was writing had no way of knowing that. As biblical scholar Paul Sampley writes, to them, “nothing could be more unlikely than that redemption should come through the humiliating crucifixion of someone.” (Sampley, 696) Thus he’s perhaps trying to validate the mixed feelings the people of Corinth might have had through hyperbole.
He quotes the prophet Isaiah, writing “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” (Isaiah 29:14) He employs the methods of Greek philosophers, requesting examples of those who are wise, scholarly, and experts at debate. As in our context, people in Paul’s time were engaged in an “ever-present struggle for status and standing.” (Sampley, 697) Shouldn’t those folks regarded as the elite have been first to identify and understand the truth of Jesus’ message? Paul’s reference to prophecy from centuries past suggests that was never God’s intent.
I am a pragmatic person. I spend a lot of time thinking about objectives and the best way to get things done. In my last career, my team had clearly-defined goals, and metrics to help measure whether we reached them. It was easy to see when we had a successful quarter, and our annual bonuses would reflect that. My tendencies toward practicality were at home there.
Now here I am a pastor of a fledgling faith community, feeling and improvising my way through the process of drawing together a still largely unknown collection of people who might be interested in pursuing spirituality in a new way.
And this is happening in a context in which the wider Christian church, at least in the Western world, is going through an upheaval. Christendom, that codependent relationship between Christianity and the state that began with the Roman emperor Constantine, is in its death throes. The church had great influence in our country for centuries, but that reputation is in free fall, in part due to the sins that emerged from Christendom, including patriarchy, racism, classism, colonialism, corruption, and bigotry. The growing mistrust of religious institutions we see now has largely been earned, and it increases with each generation.
You’ll often hear it said that just a few generations ago, *most* people went to church on Sunday. Being a member of a church might have boosted one’s status, and the buildings themselves served as social centers in some communities. Now, especially in popular media, when the topic of church or being a Christian comes up, it’s often as a punch line. To much of society, it’s even an absurdity.
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not going to claim that Christians in the U.S. are victims or oppressed. We’ve reached this point largely through unforced errors, not by following Jesus.
So what path should one take if they *do* find the message of Jesus appealing? How does one discard the damaging theologies produced by Christendom while holding on to the message of the gospel? How do we form community, especially with people who have been hurt by the church?
Phyllis Tickle, a journalist who wrote often about Christianity, said that every 500 years, the church has a rummage sale. They pull everything out of the attic, consider what is worth keeping and what should be put away or discarded, then move forward in a new direction. She cited the Great Schism that occurred around 1000 CE, during which the Orthodox church split from the Roman Catholic church, as well as the Reformation that occurred around 1500 CE, during which the Protestant church emerged from the Roman Catholic church. In 2008 she wrote that a new movement had begun, one that she termed “The Great Emergence.”
We’re in the midst of that now, trying to figure out what it means to be Jesus-followers in a post-Christendom world. The way is not clear, and the world would steer us in other directions, but the path is there, even if following it might seem impractical to some.
Returning to the scripture passage, what did Paul mean by “those who are perishing?” Aren’t we all perishing, regardless of our thoughts about the gospel?
Yes, certainly, but Paul is pointing to something beyond the end of life on earth we will all face. Not only that, but he is also writing about pursuing a different way of living in the meantime.
The elites of Paul’s time were held in high regard, but Paul argues that despite their wisdom and scholarly abilities they did not recognize Jesus for who he was. Yes, their status might have brought them worldly rewards for a time, but those would eventually pass away. And if their wisdom and scholarship did not help them to recognize Jesus, then they were no help in recognizing the better way of life he represented.
Money can buy comfort, but it can’t buy peace. Influence might attract people to you, but it’s not a foundation for genuine friendship and love. The pursuit of wealth and power clouds one’s vision, and can lead to a never-ending quest for more. That is not a path to fulfillment, and any gains are only realized temporarily.
Sampley writes that “God’s power is not only different from the wisdom of this world, of this age, but is also antithetical to it.” (Sampley, 696) You might say it works backward. If you want to do what’s best for yourself, look out for someone else. And the someone for whom you should look out should not be a person who can return the favor; no, it should be someone from the margins, someone numbered among the least of these, because that’s where Jesus makes his home.
God’s plan for bringing about a new creation included yielding to the forces of sin, through suffering and humiliation. Jesus did not seek out the powerful during his time on earth, because they did not offer as much as those whose vision was less clouded by vain pursuits. Following that example, we should remember that “What counts is not what one knows but by whom one is known.” (Sampley, 698)
Worldly influence is nice, but true community does not require it. Financial security is important, but not a component of following Jesus. Education can enrich one’s life, but is not necessary for the pursuit of justice.
A church building certainly offers advantages to a faith community, including a consistent place to meet, accessibility, safety, comfort, and production capabilities. An organ, piano, and other instruments allow a faith community to enhance the worship experience, and to offer opportunities for beginning and experienced musicians. A pastor’s study provides a place to write, research, and meet with people.
In many ways it makes sense for a church to have a building, instruments, and offices. Yet none of those things is an essential component for a faith community, none of them was mentioned by Jesus as a part of his teachings, and at Intertwined we don’t aspire to obtaining them. Their absence might mean some folks don’t consider Intertwined to be appealing, and that’s fine because there are other options for them.
Buildings, instruments, and offices are a few of the things we’ve put back in the church’s attic. For us, the cost and ecological footprint aren’t conducive to our mission.
Some of the stuff we’re pulling out of the church’s attic might have looked good at one time but its day has past. Some never should have been brought into the house in the first place. And other items, including some that have been hidden in back corners for a long time — it might be time to find a place for them on the main floor.
So at Intertwined, you’ll find us learning from one another through discussion rather than focusing on a “sage on the stage.” You’ll find us centering in silence as our mystical ancestors did, rather than filling every moment with sound. You’ll find us meeting in public spaces, often outdoors, seated in a circle rather than spectating in rows. This is not to say that one way of doing things is better than another; we’re just exchanging some items in the attic for others.
Then there are things that should never be put in the attic, that will never be part of the rummage sale. Feeding the poor, healing the sick, sheltering the unhoused, defending the weak, caring for the imprisoned, and standing up to injustice in all of its forms. Loving our neighbors, and even our enemies. You know — all of those countercultural things Jesus taught.
My friends, wisdom is not a bad thing. There are entire books of the Bible devoted to wisdom, and it is held in high regard. But not all wisdom leads to the same destination. When it steers us toward worldly gain at the expense of others, it’s time to yield to foolishness.
I’m grateful to those of you who have joined me in this endeavor, unusual as it may be. I pray being a part of Intertwined leads to growth, community, and peace as we pursue this path together.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Works Referenced
Nasrallah, Laura S. “1 Corinthians.” In Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., Matthew J. M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. Kindle edition.
Sampley, J. Paul. “The First Letter to the Corinthians.” In New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015.
Tickle, Phyllis. The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2008.
