Sermon, Parish Eucharist, February 9th 2020
Reading: 1 Corinthians 2.1-12
Knowing Me, Knowing God
How often do you hear people say something along the lines of: “Of course I’m not religious but I am spiritual”? I hear it quite a lot and must admit to bridling a bit when I do so, expecting as I do to hear the person to whom I’m speaking then tell me of the benefits of new age religion, be it crystals, wicca rituals, astrology or whatever. But this is my prejudice speaking because in all fairness those who claim to be spiritual are absolutely right. We humans, regardless of our faith or lack of it, are inherently spiritual beings and Christians have no claim to be more spiritual than anyone else.
But what do we mean by “spiritual”? Do we think of a spiritual person as one who prays a lot or who does “good works”? Do they have an air of serenity or peace about them? Do they walk around with an unworldly air? Are they wise? Well maybe, maybe not, for all these things are possible outward signs of spirituality but no more than that.
At its most basic, our spirit is what animates us and gives us life. The Greek word for spirit is “pneuma” or breath in English – it really is as basic as that. So here is an intensely spiritual question for you: what animates you and makes you feel alive not just in a literal, physical sense but in your heart, in your mind and in your soul? What is it that truly makes life worth living for you? To ask that question and begin to answer truthfully is to get closer to your true spirit and to begin cultivating your spiritual life.
But there is a problem here and that is that this is a very difficult question to answer. It is so for reasons that St. Paul explains in today’s reading from his first letter to the Corinthians, namely that we live in so much falsehood about selves and our world. This falsehood stems from what Paul calls the Spirit of the World rather than the spirit of God which is the Spirit of Truth
The Spirit of the World is not necessarily evil or malign although it most certainly can be. Often it’s just silly and vain, encouraging us to seek and desire things that are not good for us or for others. Just think of the seven deadly sins – pride, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, anger, and sloth. The trouble with sin – which is no more and no less than our human tendency to get things wrong and mess them up – is its multiplier effect. When we act out of wrong motives – knowingly or not – we damage not just ourselves but others as well and this has knock-on effects causing anger, resentment and retaliation in a never-ending spiral. It’s not for nothing that the Old Testament tells us in various places that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children for generations to come, so it’s little wonder that our human condition is one of blindness. We’re so full of hurts, misconceptions and false values that we can’t see what’s good and true for us. Unsurprisingly, we’re blinded from seeing God in our lives as well.
This, then, is what St. Paul is talking about in today’s reading from first Corinthians. In contrast to the Spirit of the World we have the Spirit that is from God – that is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that leads us into truth by “searching everything”. Note the word “search”: the Spirit’s role is to reveal what is hidden to and in us. The Spirit’s task is to lead us into the truth about ourselves and one of the chief reasons that the Spirit does this is that, in St. Paul’s words we might:
“understand the gifts bestowed on us by God”.
To see ourselves truthfully is to really understand – and value – our God-given gifts. What could be more exciting or life-affirming than to use our gifts to the full, both in the service of others and for our own satisfaction and enjoyment? This is no less than the abundant life for which Jesus came that we might have it and it’s this abundant life that is so often hidden from us and blocked from our view.
So there is a real spiritual challenge here for us to invite the Spirit of God to search us and reveal to us our true selves, the unique and valued people that God made us. But, as I said earlier, this is no easy task. How on earth do we tell the true from the false? In answer to that question the first letter of John tells us:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”
To do as John says inevitably involves a large element of trial and error. Unless we are to condemn ourselves to inactivitywe need to take decisions and act when we are uncertain, even after deep thought and prayer. But what we can then do is reflect carefully and prayerfully on what our experience of having acted has told us. Do we feel a sense of peace, of rightness, of resolution? Or do we feel unease, dissatisfaction,unhappiness? Such feelings are our guides. They are not infallible by any means but they are a vital resource in prayerful discernment and whatever conclusion we reach we can do so secure in having God’s forgiveness which is always – always – available to us.
As you know, the season of Lent begins in just over twoweeks’ time. I don’t know whether you’ve thought about it yet and whether you are planning to do anything to mark it be it in terms of giving something up; giving to charity; reading a book; or whatever. Whatever you do – or don’t do – I’d urge you to think not so much about what it is you do as to what the point of Lent is. Lent is a reflective period, the point of which is to strip away all that encumbers us in our relationship with God. It means – literally – a slowing down to enable reflection. Even my schoolboy French tells me that the word for slow in French is “lent”.
So I’d like to suggest to you that this Lent you might find time to prayerfully ask yourself and reflect on those questions with which I began this sermon:
• what animates you and makes you feel alive not just in a literal, physical sense but in your heart, in your mind and in your soul?
• what is it that truly makes life worth living for you?
• and what is getting in the way of what is true and good and life-giving for you?
As I said earlier, these are intensely spiritual questions but here’s something else that is extraordinary to consider – and that is that in coming to know and value our true selves we come to see God in all his truth and beauty. I leave you with the words of St. Paul which also appear in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul saw our current existence as akin to looking at ourselves in a dirty mirror with the image besmirched and unclear, as opposed to what will ultimately be revealed to us:
“For now we see in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Amen.