Learning to See

What do you see when you look at the world around you? Disappointment, tragedy, loss? Hope, joy, possibility? A messy mix of it all?

The challenge of the Christian life is to see with open eyes what is and what could be; to be heartbroken and enraged by the mistreatment of people and the planet, yet still hopeful about how the world can and should be. Living in either extreme–wallowing in tragedy or blindly optimistic–is dangerous. How should we walk this line?

We must learn to see the world as God sees it, and be skeptical of people who suggest that this is an easy task. A mentor of mine loves to say that what God requires of us is neither red nor blue, right nor left. The demands of the Christian life are far beyond the political frameworks that humans have constructed. As progressive and politically active as I am, I’m skeptical of either party’s ability to put the needs of the marginalized and suffering above the concerns of corporate dollars. I’m skeptical of their ability to call out the self-centered hypocrisy, oppression, and slavery in our country. The Christian life requires us to do all of these things, and so much more.

I’m preparing a sermon on how we ought to walk the line between despair over the way the world is and hope for the world to come, using 1 Corinthians as my guide. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a community in turmoil. Paul heard of their disagreements and wrote to both encourage them and set the record straight. A little-known fact–outside of seminary classrooms–is that scholars agree that 1 Corinthians was written before the four Gospels (1 Corinthians was likely written between 53-54 CE and the Gospels were written between 70-110 CE). The church in Corinth likely knew the stories of Jesus, but they didn’t have authoritative works of scripture or theology. Like many of us today, they were struggling to figure out what it means to be Christian.

There are many valid theological questions about Paul’s writings, especially if he intended to write a unified systematic theology through his letters or if he was simply putting out fires as best as he could. I tend to think it’s the latter. How Paul put out the fires in Corinth gives us a guide to understanding God’s logic. In law school we learn the law through reading individual cases, then we weave together the patchwork of jurisprudence to apply to new, unique questions. Paul’s writings should be read similarly, not as step-by-step guides, but as a framework for thinking about what our communities of faith should embody. The process–not necessarily the problem–is important.

The message from 1 Corinthians is that death can not overcome the power of selfless love. Jesus’s life among us–the reality that he rose from the dead and lives with us today–demonstrates that power-hungry, ego-driven, self-centeredness always loses to empowered generosity. Violence always loses to mercy. Cruelty always loses to love. These powers of the world often seem to win in the short-term: Jesus died a gruesome death, and we witness profound injustice, violence, and harm every day. But as followers of Christ we know that these earthly powers never win in the long run–they don’t bring healing, wholeness, flourishing, or joy to anyone.

God’s logic is counterintuitive in the world today: the weak are strong, the peacemakers are God’s children, the poor in spirit are the inheritors of the kingdom. Paul’s assurance to the church in Corinth that God’s wisdom is worth seeking and implementing is encouraging to us today:

“But we speak God’s wisdom, a hidden mystery, which God decreed before the ages for our glory and which none of the rulers of this age understood, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:7-9).

God’s logic is the path to hope. You must choose to see both the world as it is, and the world as it could be. Do not let what you see keep you discouraged, but let it convict you to bring about a more compassionate world. The world needs more people convicted to embody God’s logic of love, unity, and wholeness. Choose to see that world, roll up your sleeves, and join in on the building.

Text copyright © 2023 Grace Woodward. All rights reserved.