What About Me?

(A Thought or Two About Self-Interest & the Kingdom)

         One of the refrains that I hear all the time during election season is the classic “What about me?”  We are encouraged by politicians (from each party) to keeping asking ourselves that same question over and over again.  You’ve heard it echoed and rephrased a dozen different ways:

         Am I better off now than I was four years ago?

         How will this law affect my healthcare?

         Will I have to pay more or less income tax?

         When are they going to get around to paving my street?

It’s just the conventional wisdom that we will vote our self-interest while at the same time speaking out about the uncontrollable, irrational self-interest of all those ‘other’ folks.

         Maybe it’s the conventional wisdom because it’s true.  Maybe all we really care about is whether or not me and mine are getting our generous share of the pie.  Maybe when all is said and done we, the American electorate, are only motivated by what’s in it for us.

         That would be a sad thing indeed--especially for those of us who do what we can to follow Jesus of Nazareth.  Looking over the life of Jesus it’s hard to find many examples where Jesus was motivated by self-interest.  Almost every single choice he makes is a choice to follow the path that God laid out for him, which in this case, just happened to be a path that led him to choose God first, the Kingdom second, others third, and himself last.

         So if Jesus was unlikely to ask, What’s in it for me?  What might he have asked instead?

         What’s in it for my neighbor?  That’s the question Jesus said we ought to be asking and illustrated it with a Samaritan, traveling down the dangerous Jericho road (Luke 10:25ff).

         What’s in it for the last, lost, and the least?  That’s the focus Jesus would have us consider when we recognize our Master’s face in the visage of the sick, naked, hungry, and imprisoned (Matthew 25:31ff).

         What’s in it for the reign of God?  How are the unacceptable being accepted, the unforgiveable forgiven, the unloved being loved, and the skeptics being led to believe the impossible (Matthew 5-7)?

         ‘What about me’ is not necessarily the wrong question to ask.  It’s all in how you ask it. 

What about me:  what can I sacrifice in order to build a society that I can confidently turn over to my children and grandchildren? 

What about me:  isn’t it about time my generation made the kind of investment that previous generations made for grand projects like an interstate highway system, a transcontinental railroad, the Erie or Panama canal?  

What about me:  should I begin to demand something different from the leaders I elect—something other than a willingness to pander to my short term self-interest?

         As Pastor Pat and I have said many times the problem with politics today are not the politicians—the problem lies with us who continue to raise up leaders who lack the courage or moral fiber to say ‘No’ to what a majority of us who want what we want when we want it, and say ‘Yes’ to what is in the best long-term interests of our nation and our world.  If just the followers of Jesus got together and voted God first, the Kingdom second, and others third—as best we understand those things at any given time—I believe we would be a great deal closer to solving some of the looming, systemic challenges that lay before us.  But alas, the campaigning that has gone on so far gives little indication that there will be a ground swell for open honest debate or for the benefits of unity.

         So I guess we do what Christians have always done in the past.  We pray, we stay informed, and we are careful as to which voices we trust, then act in as faithful a matter as we can.  We also recognize that our brothers and sisters may come to very different conclusions than our own.  And rather than working up a head of steam, we can rest assured that they have prayed just as hard, are just as informed, and are attempting to be just as faithful as we are.

                  

The More Important Work

       We had a chance Monday night to host a community prayer service for the four young Harrison High School women devastated by an ATV/Jeep accident Sunday evening.  Lisa's very warm heart and confidence in her church's compassion; Dana and Pat's willingness to rearrange important commitments; Katie and Luann's readiness to share their gifts; Mike & Cathy's 'whatever it takes' attitude--plus the love of many friends and acquaintances made for a sacred moment in our sanctuary.  It was humbling to be a part of it.
      I realized for a moment how flimsy my seminary theological training really was when someone shared about Maya's dire condition.  What the doctors were seeing and what the tests were showing just shouted bad news.  And inside my belly there came a fire that said, "If that were my daughter I wouldn't for a second give up.  I wouldn't listen.  I would ignore the science and go with my God--who is after all a God of second chances and unscripted surprises."  Even though I have never met Maya I started praying for her like she was my daughter.  I started praying that God do the right thing, even if that right thing wasn't necessarily medically indicated; even if it wasn't necessarily God's will; even if somehow it wasn't necessarily even the 'right thing'.  Sometimes you want what you want and you want it so badly you just don't care about doctrine or medicine or common sense.
    I know that whatever you ask for you are supposed to end it with, "Not my will, but Yours be done."  I know all about God's agency, human frailty, and the mystery of theodicy--but none of that would enter the picture if it were my daughter.  Mine would be a prayer of uncompromising certainty and non-negotiable willfulness.  It would probably be some kind of heresy but it would be honest and it would be directed to a God who can handle all the heresy I can dish out.
     A lot of the time if we can't do something to change a situation, if we can't affect or influence the outcome, we say to ourselves, "Well, at least I can pray."  Or we say, "The best we can do is pray."  Or we shrug our shoulders resignedly and say, "I'll give prayer a shot."  We act as if action were the important work and prayer a weak least acceptable option.  But I strongly disagree.  I think it is the most important work we do as God's children.
    Don't take my word for it.  Go back and take note of a day in the life of Jesus.  He starts it in prayer, as life interrupts him he handles it with prayer.  The more demanding his schedule the harder he works to get alone in prayer.  And he never misses an opportunity to gather with God's people as they share in prayer.  For Jesus prayer was not an after thought.  For Jesus prayer was his lifeline to God and the fuel for his interactions with others.
    The prayer service Monday night just reminded me how life changing it is to be able to talk, grapple, thank, cajole, beg, celebrate, and listen to the One who holds us and our world in the palm of His hand.  It is not plan B or C or D.  Prayer is and always has been plan A for life lived in the presence of God.  And I, for one, will do everything I can not to take it for granted.