Ordinary Time

Pause

God sure does have a different way of doing things.

Maybe God is trying to turn our upside-down world right-side-up.

Listen

Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. So no human being can brag in God’s presence. It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that he made us righteous and holy, and he delivered us. This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord!

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Think

This morning I did something I had never done before: I read every single headlining article in the news — and assessed each one through today’s scripture, trying to determine who in the article was wise, powerful, strong or upper class, as Paul says. Then, I tried to pinpoint who was weak, low-class, low-life, foolish, and considered to be nothing.

Have you ever done that before? If you haven’t, I’d like to challenge you to try it. I won’t ruin the exercise for you by telling you my results. But! It seems that, if “God chose what the world considers to be low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing,” then we have a lot of work to do in shifting our eyes from the sensational ways of the powerful to the lowly ways of those with no power.

And who is lowly? It’s time we walk out of the high and powerful places, go down the street, and look for the forgotten, despised, and helpless. I bet we’ll find Jesus there, too.

Erin Spengeman Hutchison

Pray

God, it is really delicious to follow the ways of the rich, famous, and powerful. Give me an appetite instead for those who are poor, lowly, in need of refuge, and in need of a voice — because that is the company you keep — and I want to live with you, where you are. Amen.

Go

Today, join God in turning the world right-side-up, one decision at a time.