Partnership

Many pride themselves as individualists, capable, autonomous, able to rise on the basis of personal strength and ability, divested.  It is a strength, many say, of the nation in which I live and claim earthly citizenship- America.  Today a new president was inaugurated.  And, he pled with the nation, recounted the history of the nation at its best and looked toward the future of the nation, appealing to one common contingency for our success- partnership.  He referred to times when the nation pulled together to combat economic collapse, disarray caused by natural disasters, potential loss of identity by wars and terrorist threats.  I heard at least nine references or appeals to becoming united and/or sharing the load.  He spoke of collective courage and innovation, pulling together of race and religion, and the need for corporate resolve to overcome our obstacles. 

We have become accustom to that kind of speech.  John F. Kennedy spoke the famous words more than forty years ago, “Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.”  I’m sure that presidential historians would find that a common, in fact universal theme. 

However, it seems like an interesting and incompatible mix of virtues- unqualified individualism and collective dependence.  One cannot have it both ways.  When it comes to the Scriptures, the Bible is quite and consistently clear- we are heavily dependent.  We are dependent upon God, entirely for our salvation.  Grace implies our inability to make good our own turnaround.  The “body” and “family” and “army” metaphors leave no doubt that we have a collective need of one another to be whole.

In Paul’s fifteenth chapter to the Romans he made no mistake in appealing to the Roman Christians to help the Jews in Jerusalem. “Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the good news from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially” (verse 27).  He shifts to the subject of his visit, but keeps the theme of partnership as he said, “I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together” (verse 28).  He shifts subjects to his present tasks at hand, keeping the same background theme in mind, “I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (verse 29).  This is not an exceptional passage.  Coursing through the Bible is the theme of interdependence upon God, partnership in t13he body of Christ and the necessity for our collective sharing (Acts 2) to really be fully human, Christian and “attaining to the full measure of the fullness of God” (Ephesians 4).

 

I pray that this will be true to the kingdom of God.  I also pray that the appeal by the president is realized.  My fear, however, is that people will continue to hold to the exaltation of unaccountable individualism, self-centered pride and unqualified self-determination.  It is hard to break what is core to the fallen human nature and advocated strongly in much of the school curriculum and demonstrated by countless families from border to border.  Pray with me that God breaks that core and helps people to learn by finding the root of healthy dependence- surrender to God. 

Comments

[JJ]

I completely agree - cite the whole Pasadena Ministry. However, our personality's, yours & mine in particular, lend themselves to individualistic endeavors. This is just 1 more thing that Mitchell never had to struggle with. He was created for community -always giving and always receiving through acts of service, gifts, quality time. Love ya.