Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

MSF Picnic 2010

Indeed it is, in any case, failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.

Saint Paul was so excited by his faith in Jesus, and so intensely dedicated, he could hardly imagine that some of his disciples were not so zealous. In this passage from his First Letter  to the Corinthians he seems genuinely shocked that some Christians are suing one another  in a court of law.

How could things have come to such a state? Were there no respected elders in the church who could mediate this conflict? How much damage will you do to the Church’s reputation with your lawsuit? People will certainly mock the Christians who pretend to love another and then haul each other into court.

And the courtroom is inevitably a win/lose situation. Contenders demonize each other, supposing their opponents are both wicked and stupid. They will split the church with their contention, as friends and family take sides in the controversy.

Saint Paul can hardly contain himself:

Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.

Eventually cynicism pitches its tent on the edge of every church encampment. It lurks in the shadows of our conversations. Even the word Christian becomes suspect. Originally it means one who is anointed with the Christ, but when it becomes a marketing ploy, used to sell everything from real estate to shampoo, it means “Let the buyer beware.”

Saint Paul’s new disciples were like the seeds in Jesus’ parable that are thrown into weeds. They spring up well enough but are choked by the cares and problems of this world. They say they have faith, they readily identify with the church, but they cannot practice it in their disputes with one another.

Apparently they cannot imagine working toward a win-win agreement in which they discover through their conflicts a deeper respect and warmer affection for one another. Divided into camps they dare not examine their own hearts. Instead they wrap themselves in a phony mantle of justice and project evil onto their opponents. Saint Paul rails, “You inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers!”

Saint Paul uses a terrible word when he rebukes his disciples, failure. The question might be asked, “What is the sign of a successful church?” It is certainly not that they never have conflicts. No community, family, married couple or set of friends can expect never to have conflicts.

Rather, a successful community learns to make the most of their conflicts, turning crises to opportunities. Disagreements will create new ways to understand and new depths of insight. They will challenge opponents to imagine what it’s like to be someone else and “to walk in another’s shoes.” Conflicts will smash their smug assurances that they always know what is right and good and true as they struggle to hear and understand another point of view.

Conflicts will teach them to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, surrendering even their claim to fair treatment as more than they need or want.