Corinth and the Tragedy in Maryland

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28


Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Have you ever wondered what was in the letters that St. Paul was answering? After all, Paul’s words in our scriptures were addressed to specific churches, in answer to specific problems or joys in their life together. What about the letter from Corinth that prompted the answer from Paul that we read as our second lesson today? It might have gone something like this:

Dear Paul,

My friends and I so frustrated with the newer members of our community. They have been giving us grief about eating meat that has been sacrificed to pagan idols. Can you imagine?! They expect us to stay away from the Games, just because the city serves up a good idol-meat stew at the post-game celebration afterwards. They even expect me to skip my cousin’s wedding reception, just because her family is going to buy their food from Zeus’ temple! Can you imagine going to your friend’s house and refusing the hospitality of the delicious main course—a roast of goat for which she paid dearly, I might add—just because she might have bought it from a temple supplier? How ridiculous can you get? Listen, Paul, you know that we are educated, sophisticated Christ-followers. We have been baptized now for over 10 years. We don’t believe in those ridiculous gods that our pagan neighbors worship. As if those stone statues can really hear their prayers or smell the food that they put so ceremoniously before them. We are strong and firm in our belief in the One true God and in Jesus Christ his Son. It doesn’t matter what food we eat, then, for goodness’ sake. Our diet doesn’t change our convictions. I’ll tell you, those Christians who are complaining are just jealous. Just because they can’t afford to eat meat doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t have it. If they are so weak in their faith that hanging around pagans is tempting to them, then they can just sit at home. Really, how ignorant and pathetic can you get? Paul, can’t you set them straight for us?

Instead of “setting them straight,” Paul addresses his response to the folks who think that they have everything all figured out. You might have knowledge, Paul says, but you are not acting toward your fellow community members in love. All knowledge does is to puff us up about ourselves. Sure, the pagan practices are meaningless. Sure, that meat isn’t going to hurt you. Sure, God doesn’t expect Christians to withdraw from society all together. The problem isn’t about the meat. The problem is that you are not caring for your weaker brothers and sisters. If your actions are harming them, if your actions are causing them to stumble, then you need to stop what you are doing out of love for them. The thrust of Paul’s advice for the people of Corinth is that Christian community cannot exist where the strong are lording it over the weak; it cannot thrive where the powerful are ignoring the people at the margins; it cannot grow where the knowledgeable are glibly dismissing those who don’t understand.

          You might be surprised to learn, then, that today’s text is most often used in the Church to defend the status quo. Instead of protecting the minority voice and the marginalized Christian, it is instead used most often by those Christians in power to counsel against rapid change. “Wait!” they say, “We had better not push for civil rights for African Americans. We had better not ordain women. We had better not perform same-sex blessings. These things might be OK in themselves, but making them happen will offend the consciences of those brothers and sisters who disagree. Paul says right here that your liberty should not be a stumbling block to your brother or sister.”[1] Of course the Church needs to allow time for conversation and discernment. But is it fair to apply Paul’s words to these cases, in which women, LGBT Christians, and people of color are those whom Paul would urge us to protect? Aren’t those who fear change the ones in power in the community?

          In reflecting on 1 Corinthians this week, it didn’t take me long, however, to think of more fitting contemporary examples.

Have you ever thought how giving men all the power through using seemingly harmless words like “chairman” or “mankind” might hurt our sisters in Christ? How it might spread language that binds them in weakness and insignificance? What it would be like to avoid using those words for their sakes?

Or what about not going shopping on Sundays and on holidays? Without the old Blue Laws, our commercial-driven society never stops. Does it hurt us to go to Kroger on Sunday? Of course not. But by doing so, are we participating in a culture that takes advantage of the poor, that prevents others from resting, especially those who cannot chose when they are able to rest?

And then I remembered the Rt. Rev. Heather Cook. She is the suffragan, or assistant, bishop of Maryland, who hit and killed a cyclist while driving on December 27. Her blood alcohol level was .22 percent, and she was swerving and texting on her phone when the accident occurred. She has been charged with negligent homicide, has been fired by her diocese, and may eventually be stripped of her orders. If the death of an innocent man and the tragedy of her own future aren’t trouble enough, it was discovered that Bishop Cook had a previous serious DUI arrest in 2010, but that Church officials, who knew about it, did not consider it an obstacle to consideration for the episcopacy and did not disclose that information to the electing convention. What a tragic story all around! Could it all have been avoided? So many people, near and far, have been hurt by what happened that night. As the diocesan Bishop of Maryland wrote, “we cry for the Palermo family [whose family member was killed], our sister Heather, and all in the community who are hurting.” [2]

          As a member of a denomination often jokingly referred to as “Whiskeypalian,” and about whom they say “whenever three or four Episcopalians are gathered together you can always find a ‘fifth,’” I wonder if someone from a parish like St. Thomas could have written the following letter to St. Paul:

Dear Paul,

My friends and I are so frustrated with the members of our parish who are worried about the use of alcohol in the Episcopal Church. They have been giving us grief about Pub Theology and about our wine and cheese reception on Saturday nights. Can you imagine?! They expect us to give up these great evangelism tools just because the drinking might make people in recovery feel left out, or tempt them. What are we, ridiculous tea-totaling Baptists or Methodists? No, we are enlightened Episcopalians. We know how to handle ourselves socially. We know how to drink responsibly. As Christians, you have to fit in with the ways of the world, or it will turn people off. Besides, we know that it is scientifically proven that one drink per day is good for your health. Those of us who don’t have a problem can enjoy a glass of wine for goodness’ sake! I’ll tell you, those parishioners who are complaining are just jealous. Just because they can’t drink doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t. They can drink soda or juice. If they are so weak that hanging around alcohol is tempting to them, then they can just stay away from the activities where we serve it. Paul, can’t you set them straight for us?

          Do you see the problem? I wonder how St. Paul would set us straight? Would he tell the abstainers that they are being ridiculous? Or would he side with them and tell us to cancel Pub Theology? Would he condemn us for partaking in alcoholic beverages? From his response to the Corinthians, I don’t think that he would do any of that. But would he remind us that love for the weak should guide our actions? Yes, I think that he would. I think that he would remind us that we as a parish and as a denomination have some serious thinking to do about what is truly important, about how we might unintentionally be harming people we don’t even know by actions that seem to be “no-brainers” for us. As a matter of fact, as I thought about how I can keep my liberty surrounding alcohol from being a stumbling block to the weak, I was guided to an important decision.  I have decided that, as long as I am wearing my collar and representing the parish as rector, I will no longer drink alcohol at any public or parish events. Will I stop having a glass of wine at home with my dinner? No. Do I think that drinking is inherently sinful and something that we need to ban at St. Thomas? No, I don’t. I think that these social activities help to distinguish us from the judging attitudes of some Christians, and they show our openness to the joys of good food, drink, and fellowship. But as an authority figure, might my behavior in drinking be a stumbling block to someone else—clergy or lay--who should not be drinking? Yes, it might. I no longer want to risk contributing, even remotely, to tragedies like the one that happened in Maryland. 
         My response does not have to be yours. Neither is my response eternal and set in stone. Like love, it springs from the heart. What might God be calling you to do, in every particular circumstance, to honor your brother or sister?

          Let us pray:

Loving God, keep us from carelessly living our lives as stumbling blocks to those who need us most. Teach us to build up your body in love. Amen.

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[1] For an example from the Church of England, concerning the recent issue of the ordination of female bishops, see http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/downloads/theology-wales-back-issues/theology-wales-the-ordination-of-women-to-the-episcopate/empirical-theology-and-women-bishops-revd-professor-leslie-j-francis/ 

[2] “Episcopal Bishop Charged with Manslaughter,” in The Christian Century, February 4, 2015, 13.