Thursday 5 September 2024

Today is Thursday the 5th of September in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing: ‘We Nhliziyo yami’: ‘O my heart be wise when your enemies surround you. Keep praying; ask the Lord for help. For he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’ We nhliziyo yami, Mawuhlakaniphe; Zikuhaq' izitha zakho, Zivukela wena. Linda uthandaze, Ungayek'ukulwa; Cela ngezinsukuzonke ENkosin'amandla. Ungalahli wena Izikhali zakho; Ekufeni uzoqeda Umsebenzi wakho. Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’, and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’ So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Christ’s life is so contrary to what we sometimes call the values of the world. Where in the gospels do you enjoy him being counter-cultural? . . . For Jesus, gentleness is strength; service is greatness; poverty is freedom; death is a springboard to eternal life. What’s it like to belong to this Christ? . . . The world holds out one notion of validation. It includes material and reputational security. St Paul encourages us to trust in God and in Christ above any other thing in this world . . . Such trust grows slowly through relationship with Jesus. Listen again and hear the tone of Paul as he urges the Corinthians to think differently about life. How would Paul be encouraging you today to put your trust in God and in Christ? How do you want to respond to that? . . . Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.