Every week I begin my preparations for the sermon by reading the lectionary texts for the coming Sunday and watching for some common thread which might be running through two or more of the scriptures. It is, I believe, a way of listening for a word from God about what direction I might take with the sermon. Sometimes such direction emerges quite clearly and at other times much more tenuously. But once in a while the appropriateness of the theme which emerges for me is later confirmed by some other means. This week, as I looked at the scriptures, the passage from the Psalms and the one from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians came together to suggest the idea of God being for all people. Only later did it occur to me that this is an entirely appropriate theme for the weekend when we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday with it’s emphasis on human rights.

It seems on the one hand that such a sermon shouldn’t even need to be preached. Of course God is for all people. That concept ought to be basic, foundational and obvious to all of us. Unfortunately, in practice it not. We human beings are very good at thinking of the world in terms of us and them, and we always want God to be on the side with “us.” This often gets extended to mean that God is, therefore, not on the side with “them.” So it is helpful to remind ourselves from time to time that while we may view the world in terms of us and them, God does not.

Rick Lowery is a Biblical scholar who teaches at Phillips Seminary in Oklahoma. Several years ago he was speaking at a regional gathering here in the northwest, where he made the comment that every time he read scripture he heard a message from God. Sometimes, however, the message was, “Don’t do this!” That was a helpful insight for me. We can understand the Bible to be inspired, without receiving it as an instruction guide direct from God. Scripture comes to us as the record of human beings efforts down through the years to understand God and to be in relationship with God. As such, sometimes they got it right and sometimes they missed the mark. Both can be instructive if we remember to avoid thinking that it is always one way or the other. Such, I believe, is the case with the reading from Psalm 136. As I read it earlier in the week, I was struck by the universality of the message. God is understood to be everywhere, acting on behalf of everyone. “All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 136:7) And so it goes all the way through verse 9. The writer almost had it. But then he allowed that old “us and them” mentality to slip back in again. “O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!” (Psalm 136:10) By which, it may safely be assumed, he meant himself and his people. As opposed to those others out there who do not know God and who are not upright of heart (as defined by the author’s understanding). It’s as if verse 7 (All people may take refuge) was a mistake. What the author really meant to say was, “All people like me...”

Which brings us to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He wrote chapter 12 precisely because the people in the church in Corinth were taking seriously the “us versus them and God is on our side” attitude. If you don’t think like us and act like us and believe like us, then you have just missed the boat and God isn’t with you. And so Paul writes to them, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) People don’t have to look like us or act like us or believe like us in order to know God. “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Corinthians 12:11) Just as the Spirit chooses. It is not our place to decide who knows God and who doesn’t. It is not our place to judge who is us and who is them. God chooses, and in God’s view of the world there is no “us and them”, there is only “us.” In the words of the Gospel of John, “For God so loved THE WORLD...” (John 3:16) Not the parts of the world that believed the right things. Not the parts of the world that practiced the correct actions. Just THE WORLD.

It is a lesson worth remembering. In God’s eyes we are in this together -- this business we call life. Of course we will disagree. Sometimes we will even strongly disagree. We can (and sometimes even should) argue passionately about things which are important to us. We can disagree, but we absolutely must not dismiss. It is so easy to fall into that trap. Republicans and Democrats and Independents do it with political issues. Liberals and fundamentalists do it with faith issues. There is no limit to the particular issues which we can use to define who is worthy of our attention and who can simply be dismissed as unimportant. And whenever we fall into that trap we are diminished. We need not and will not always agree with each other. But we will always need each other. God put us on this planet together and invites us to find ways to be in genuine community with each other. If God sees only “us,” then who are we to begin seeing “them”? May we move beyond tolerance to celebration as we embrace the diversity which is humanity. We worship the God who is for ALL people.