In the world, but not of it

Here is my reflection from today's Choral Eucharist at St Martin-in-the-Fields:

Jesus prayed that his followers might be in the world, but not of it (John 17. 11-17). What might he have meant? The following alternative Beatitudes provide one starting point for reflection: 

'Blessed are the wealthy, because there is the Dow Jones index.
Blessed are those who enjoy a good party, for they will drown their sorrows.
Blessed are the assertive, for they will get to the top of their career.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after chemical stimulation, for designer drugs are more widely available with every passing year.
Blessed are the ruthless, because no one will get in their way.
Blessed are the cold of heart, for they won’t get hurt when relationships break down.
Blessed are those who are involved in the arms trade, for theirs are the best deals in developing nations.
Blessed are the directors of privatised utilities, for theirs are the fat cat bonuses.'

(created by Spring Harvest guests, 1997, compiled by Rob Warner)

That was a set of beatitudes for our times, a set of beatitudes which are the complete reverse of those which Jesus gave us. Wealth replacing poverty, partying replacing mourning, assertion replacing meekness; that is the way of the world - the way we are often told to live today. It is the way of selfishness, not the way of saintliness and Jesus calls us to something different. He calls to us to be in the world, but not of it.

Jesus turned the received norms of his culture - his day, his time, his world - upside down. He rejected the temptations of wealth, power and celebrity. He taught that those who were blessed were the poor, the merciful, the persecuted. He reinterpreted the Mosaic Law in unexpected ways. He laid down his life in service of others. He died that others might live. He was in the world, but not of it.

Some of the greatest examples of his call to be different are found in the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes give us a sense of the radical kingdom lifestyle to which we are called by Jesus. It is as if Jesus has crept into the window display of life and changed the price tags. It is all upside down. In a world where ‘success’ and ‘self-sufficiency’ are applauded, and ‘the beautiful people’ are ambitious, accomplished and wealthy, Jesus teaches: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Our culture encourages us to discard guilt and the sorrow that accompanies pangs of conscience. Happiness is everything, entertainment is king but Jesus teaches: “Blessed are those who mourn.” In our competitive world, self-help seminars teach assertiveness and power is to be sought and used but Jesus teaches “Blessed are the meek.”

The Kingdom of God is a place of happiness for those who know they are spiritually poor, a place of comfort for those who mourn, a place of receptivity for those who are humble, a place of satisfaction for those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires, a place of mercy for those who are merciful, a place in which God is seen by the pure in heart, a place in which those who work for peace are called God’s children, and a place which belongs to those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.

So, for Jesus, the world is all that he turned down when he rejected the temptations to accumulate power, wealth and celebrity. When we live life as though its purpose is our personal gain or that of our people or tribe or nation, then we are in the world and of the world. It is when we renounce such claims that we are in the world, but not of it.

Lyrics from a song written for the alternative worship service in West London called grace sum up what it means to live in the world but as though we are not of it. We do this by living counter to the culture, going against the flow, finding new directions because the kingdom of God is upside down.

In today’s world for us here at St Martin’s this may mean praying that our nation comes to find a kinder, gentler way of talking about immigration. But even if it does not, praying that St Martin’s may remain a place of hospitality and belonging to those on whom our society has turned its back. It may mean praying that the UK returns to a place of seeking to become a model of tolerance, diversity, and respect, but even if it does not, praying that St Martin’s continues to be a place that seeks to be a blessing to all in our country. It may mean praying that our democracy discovers a way to vote not in fear and self-interest but in hope and pursuit of the common good, but even if it does not, praying that St Martin’s continues to be a community that judges democracy by how safe it is to find yourself in the minority. It may mean praying that the church in this land will come to be regarded by all as a home for the outcast and a refuge for the least and the lost, but even if it does not, praying that here, at St Martin’s, we continue to worship a God who in Christ is made known in the hungry and the stranger.

Jesus’ prayer for us is not that we will be taken out of the world, but that we can be in the world and yet not belong to the world; that we are in the world, but not of it.

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Grace - God In The House.