Making Sense

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:23 – “If, therefore, the entire church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (NRSVUE)

Do you do anything that makes sense to you, but not to anyone else? From the outside, it seems like my entire life is a series of non sequiturs. It all makes sense to me, but if I want to get through to others, I need to change my approach.

I was reminded of this when I was reading Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians this week. It is one of my favorite texts in the Bible. But it can be frustrating. While many of its teachings are so relevant to us today, such as those about the body of Christ, spiritual gifts, and the supremacy of love as the greatest gift of all, others seem so specific as to be meaningless to us. For example, the reason why there is division in the Corinthian church over whether those who speak in tongues are more important than those who do not.

Outside of some Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions, speaking in tongues, being inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak in a language that sounds like gibberish to other people, is very rare and generally frowned upon. In the letter, Paul criticizes the practice not because it is inauthentic, but whether it is useful for building up faith and connection to the wider community.

At one point in the letter, Paul envisions a new person coming into a church. A church shopper, if you will. Were they to come into the Corinthian congregation and hear everyone speaking in tongues, they would think it was some ecstatic cult at best or a bunch of lunatics at worst. But were a stranger to enter a congregation where prophecy is preached, that word might touch their hearts and they might be willing to learn more about the faith.

Not many congregations in my tradition speak in tongues, but a lot of them have traditions that are confusing to outsiders. Sometimes it is as simple as when to stand or sit or assuming that people know the words to the doxology or Lord’s Prayer. Sometimes there are unstated rules like you should never sit in the second pew on the right because Martha always sits there. But a lot of it is because the message is by insiders for insiders. There can be a lot of preaching to the choir. Paul’s teaching about tongues reminds us that faith is not just for us, but for the world.

I bet you do a lot of things that would seem insane to a person from another country. I remember when a French foreign exchange student lived with us when I was a child and he could not fathom why anyone would eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But whether it is in your worship life, your civil life, or your personal life, ask yourself whether your behavior is meaningful to others. Is your life one of gate keeping or open welcome? If we can use our faith as an example, demonstrating our love by loving and serving others, our commitment to Christ makes sense. If we look inward at arcane theologies, we risk becoming irrelevant not just for our communities but for ourselves as well. So, this week, try to be more open in your behavior. Remember that God not only loves you, but everyone and invite everyone into that love through acts of kindness.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to share my faith with others in a way that makes sense to them so that all might know your love. Amen.