Power
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For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
-1 Corinthians 1:18
When I was first ordained back in 1996, whenever I wore my clerical collar into the grocery store, I made it into kind of a sociology experiment. I found that I largely received one of two reactions. Some people registered profound confusion upon seeing a woman wearing a clerical collar. They might call me “Sister,” or even “Father.” But far more people would simply go out of their way to offer me a cart, open the door for me or ask if I’d like to go ahead of them in line. No matter which reaction they had, it showed that people knew about the church and had been taught to be polite to a clergy person.
These days, almost 30 years later, whenever I’m in the grocery store wearing my collar, people no longer hold doors or strike up conversations about church. Instead, I see people glancing at my collar and then doing everything they can to avoid eye contact and get away from me as fast as they can. I also often interact with people who have no idea what my collar is about.
To many people these days, religion is either complete foolishness or nothing at all. And as a person who spends her days physically representing the church, I’ve witnessed this rapid change in just the few years since I’ve been ordained. Although I’ve accepted it, it sometimes still surprises me.
It makes me think back to a story a colleague of mine told me in the mid-90’s. He was visiting a cousin and the cousin’s wife in London. The three of them were out for a walk, and they passed by a car that had the fish symbol on its bumper sticker. The wife excitedly exclaimed to the cousin, ”Look dear! A Christian!” My colleague shared how stunned he’d been by her amazement at discovering that another Christian was somewhere near. He’d noticed how few people in London attended church and how anti-religious the culture seemed to be. Now just a few decades later, it’s safe to say that here in New England, we have caught up with England in this regard. Most people here do not go to church and more and more simply have no idea what church is or what it is all about.
How is it that a faith that has completely transformed my life can be seen as a superstition, a crutch, an outdated idea or simply foolishness by so many people all around me? Why have you and I been called to be keepers of the keys to this tradition? Paul’s letter to the Corinthians at least shows us that we are not alone in wondering about this.
In every time and in every place, it’s never been about the power of the church (even though we often forget that in churches.) It’s not about the power of the church, it’s about the power of Christ. It’s about God’s power, not our own. All we can do is continue to listen, follow and love and await the new thing God has always got up a sleeve.
Come to the table this Sunday with the rest of us fools for Christ, to taste and see that the Lord is good.
