Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Polis
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.
Politics always has room for more than one point of view, and rarely are today’ political conversations especially polite. But without these conversations, the whole idea of a civilized polis (Greek meaning “city or city-state”) goes out the window.
In every relationship of two people, and in every conversation between them, one person will be more outspoken or assertive than the other. Perhaps they learn to take turns. Otherwise, one person might speak their mind while the other is silent, even seething inside. Nobody wins. What to do?
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
Lutheran pastor-WWII conspirator-martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of his experience leading an underground seminary in pre-WWII Germany in a small book simply titled Life Together. He admonished his students and listeners to refrain from conversations with each other about divisive topics unless they could remember to include Jesus. “Through Christ alone we have access to one another, joy in one another, and fellowship with one another.”
This means that in spiritual community there “is never any ‘immediate’ relationship with one another.” Christ must always be our mediator. I know and love you through Christ, not directly. You know and love me through Christ, not directly. In this way both stronger and weaker personalities, even when they disagree, can co-exist. In the presence of Christ we can learn from each other.
This sounds too good to be true. Well, difficult, yes. But still true. Psychologists call this kind of relationship “triangling.” Triangles are made up of a weaker person, a stronger person, and one who tries to resolve conflict between them. This can be helpful in human community, but even better in spiritual community where, as Bonhoeffer points out, we don’t have the confusion of a human mediator playing God.
God does the work himself.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
We can invite and stay conscious of the presence of Jesus in our relationships, especially those with folks with whom we disagree. “Where two or three are gathered, there am I in the midst of you.” Jesus said this out loud, to his own fractious disciples and to us.
It is possible for our relationships and communities to be … less pious and emotional safehouses on the one hand, and battlefields where no one listens … on the other. Our most intense conversations can become gifts of a good God to his children, his love for us right smack in the middle of it all. Beginning with just a little talk, this love fills our worship, our solitude, our ministry and confession to one another. Joy abounds. Wholeness comes because of, rather than in spite of, our life together.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
(1 Timothy 3, Psalm 101, Luke 7)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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