Aliens and Oddballs--May 25, 2022
"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual." [1 Corinthians 2:12-13]
Every so often, the United Federation of Planets teaches me some good theology.
I came of age in the era when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was on the air, so in addition to having seen the original Star Trek series, with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock and Lieutenant Uhura and the rest, I tuned in regularly to watch Captain Picard and his crew aboard the Enterprise meeting new species and exploring, as they say, "strange new worlds." But to me, it was always interesting to watch how those new life forms tried to make sense of the crew of the Enterprise, and the principles of the Federation they represented. That show wasn't just about "us" meeting "aliens," but about what happens when the aliens discover "us"--and about how strange we might seem to them.
In particular, I was always taken when the new aliens-of-the-week would be surprised that the crew of the Enterprise didn't use money or work for paychecks. In the future imagined by Gene Roddenberry and company, the United Federation of Planets has attained a level of technological advance where there is enough food and resources for all, so there is no more need for currency or trade. They "replicate" their food, they have all their needs met, and they share abundance. But to alien cultures who are still bent on acquisition of wealth, it seems like nonsense. They are puzzled that the crew of the Enterprise isn't more interested in making money, selling their technology for a profit, or creating scarcity to make their resources more valuable. And when you see a scene like that play out, it becomes obvious that the differences between these different alien cultures aren't merely a difference in language, but in the basic assumptions of their way of life. The Enterprise crew sees the cosmos from their own vantage point--that there is abundance for all, resources can be shared, and they can respect and partner with others they meet. And the aliens they meet come with their own different view of the universe--some more war-like and bent on conquest, some more market-minded and looking to make themselves rich, and others with more mysterious agendas.
It's that difference of fundamental operating principles that strikes me as helpful for our conversation here in First Corinthians. Paul sees the Christian community as guided by something essentially different from the logic of the world around. The "spirit" of the world brings its own reasoning and way of doing things, and quite often that's the "way" of empire, of violence, of domination, and of hoarding. The logic, or "spirit," of the world says things like, "Might makes right," or "Everyone has to look out for their own interests first!" or "There's only so much to go around, so you've got to grab as much as you can for yourself." You know the litanies of the world's liturgy. We hear them all the time. But from Paul's vantage point, we who follow Jesus have been given a different source of guidance--one which is not a "what" but rather a "Who"--the very Spirit of God. And God's own Spirit has a different kind of logic, one which often runs counter to the ways and assumptions of the wider world.
That means sometimes we are going to be like Captain Picard and his crew on the Enterprise, looking odd to the watching world who find our ways strange and nonsensical. Like meeting aliens who are only interested in making profits or stoking wars, we are going to have to explain to others that our animating power is not the quest for more money or empire-building, but the Spirit of God. And that means we'll have to be prepared to look weird, like we are the aliens and oddballs, because we are no longer driven by the logic of the world of money and militarism. And instead of demanding that others recognize that "we" are right and "they" are wrong, it will mean that we learn to live as a sort of scandal or puzzle to others who can't quite figure us out. It's like the old insight of Emmanuel Cardinal Suhard, who wrote, "To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live one's life in such a way that one's life would not make sense if God did not exist."
The characters on the Enterprise can share their resources and technology, labor without thought of getting rich, and show concern for others in need because they are living within a system where there is enough for all and things like money are no longer necessary. That makes them look strange and even foolish to beings who don't understand. The only way it can possibly make sense in the Star Trek universe to live with such generosity is if you really do have a way of life (in this case, provided by technology) that allows you no longer to worry about scarcity and to be free to share. And for the followers of Jesus, the only way our lives of generosity and love can make sense is if there really is a God whose graciousness to us allows us to share abundantly with all, too, without needing to slide into the world's endless quest for "more."
Today, then, it's OK if our lives look weird to others who watch our choices and wonder why we aren't constantly driven to get "more" or why we're committed to compassion and goodness for others. Let the world wonder, "What's in it for them?" Let them ask, "Why would they do this if they don't get something out of it?" Let them puzzle over the living mystery of our lives, which will only make sense in the end if God not only exists, but has given us a Spirit with a different way of living than the old routines of the world.
Go ahead, be different today as the Spirit leads you to be. Be blessedly weird.
Spirit of God, direct our lives and our actions in light of who you are, rather than the ways of the world systems around us.
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