During a pandemic, it’s natural to feel afraid or anxious. This reflection gives us permission to remember we still have choices: we do not need to grasp at our own security; we can choose to remain magnanimous and outward-looking, strengthened by faith, grace and love.
Thanks to Donatas Dabravolskas under Creative Commons
Something unseen is threatening our lives. The daily news generates uncertainty. Our social contacts are curtailed. Family and friends are literally kept at arm’s length - and that’s outdoors.
Our biology and evolution dictate that for all humans, this is a demanding and stressful time.
We face another danger: that more and more of us become self-absorbed and the social cohesion breaks down further. Would it be better for us and for others if we managed to keep looking outwards in prayer and concern?
Take a moment to reflect on this beautiful poem, included in the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Philippi:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited
but emptied himself
taking the form of a slave
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death -
even death on a cross.”
It is a passage Christian churches now celebrate as great doctrine in Paul’s writing. But like others of its kind, the theology came about almost in passing. It simply supports, creatively, the more practical concerns the letter addresses.
The above Song of the Servant King was written in support of a plea for more unity, mutual support and care in Philippi’s new worshipping community.
Before breaking into poetry, Paul had appealed to his readers:
“make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love… Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
The appeal for mutual care is backed up by the invitation to take on the same attitude and values seen in Jesus Christ. Though Divine, he did not remain ensconsed in heavenly splendour but chose to join a family of lowly human beings. Later, in humility and obedience, he accepted a path to crucifixion.
The poetic passage, possibly quoting an early hymn the Philippians already knew, later crescendos in verses 9 - 11 through the resurrection to a point of acclamation, worship and hope. Paul uses it not primarily as a song of worship but as an appeal for Christ-focused love, centred on others.
A typical English translation of Paul’s verse 6 is:
“though Jesus existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped”
but it could just as well be:
“Jesus did not think that ‘grasping’ was equal to being like God”
Grasping is not a fitting stance for those of us who seek God’s ways. Paul’s focus is on the acceptance of service on others’ behalf, not on our own preservation, legacy and comfort.
Love involves a movement away from me to one who is loved or the beloved. It is a status we share with others and with Christ. That Love is God’s way with each of us and with the world.
Paul invites his readers to enter into this spirit, through respect and practical concern, prayer, compassion and service.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.