Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
- Philippians 2:4
A Lithuanian parable tells of a man who walks into a packed dining hall filled with delicious food, but also starving people. Puzzled by the apparent contradiction, the man learns that the spoons the people are required to use are so long they can’t bring the food to their mouths.
Ushered next door, he enters another dining hall. This room has the same setup—long tables filled with food, and spoons just as long as those next door. Yet here everyone is happy and smiling. When the man asks what is different, he is told to see for himself: taking the long spoons in hand, the people are feeding each other.
In our world, you are encouraged to look out for yourself first and foremost, to solve your own problems with your own solutions and expect the same from others. Those who give to the needy are seen as naïve, and those who accept help are considered leeches. It’s every man for himself out here.
But the gospel points us toward a different way of life, one embodied by the Lord who gave everything for us. He calls us not ignore our neighbors but to love them, not to disregard others’ care but to accept it with thanksgiving. Instead of calling us to rugged individualism, Jesus invites us to beloved community.
The
troubles this world presents are many, and far more than any one person can handle
alone. But we can be thankful that Christ doesn’t call us to make our way
through life singlehanded—we are part of the family of God, surrounded by brothers
and sisters in faith. Grab a spoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment