In our current sermon series on Paul’s epistle to the Romans, we have mentioned mutuality a few times. The life of mutuality contrasts with the life of exploitation as exhibited in the life of the mind that is set on the flesh. This is the life of self-pleasing. It is the empire mindset.
In a society where we have been reared to be individualistic, mutuality is challenging to embrace. Like many disciplines in life, it requires practice to achieve proficiency. It takes effort to replace judgment with empathy. Speaking with listening. Blaming with caring. Tribal with universal. Exclusive with inclusive. Me with us.
Yet mutuality is worth the effort. Romans 8:10 tells us, “…the body is dead (though not literally) because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness (just living).” The Spirit is life and life is beautiful. It is just. Imagine, as hard as it may be, that we find more beauty and more life as we give up more of ourselves for the good of others. As the Spirit enables us to do so, we embrace and live out the law of God more and more each day. As we do so, we become more beautiful together. We live into the beauty God intended when God uttered, “Let there be light.”
Let’s be the light in an unjust world today.
Grace and peace,
Rev. J.D. Allen
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