Is Life All About Me? I. Introduction A. As conscious creatures humans seek to find meaning in existence and in all things B. The questions of “who am I?” and “why am I here?” have pressed strongly on the minds of people as long as they have been able to wonder about existence C. We do well to explore the question: what is life all about? D. For Christians there is the true answer to the question: relational unity with God and one another to obtain and truly enjoy eternal life (cf. John 17:20-23) 1. God made us in His image, desires to maintain relationship with offspring (Genesis 1:26-27, Acts 17:25-29) 2. We have strayed from the ways of God and are subject to sin and death; God has reconciled us through Jesus (Romans 3:1-23, 5:6-11) 3. In Christ we can find reconciliation with God, the right, good, and healthy way to live, a call for resistance against the forces of darkness over the present age, and true reconciliation with our fellow man (Galatians 5:17-24, Ephesians 2:1-20, 4:11-16, 6:10-18) 4. In Christ we have the hope of resurrection, eternal life in the presence of God (Philippians 3:1-21, Revelation 21:1-22:6) E. While the Christian may “know” these things, does he or she live like it? Has this “knowledge” penetrated the heart and the actions? F. We all too often give lip service to what we know is true from what God has made known in Scripture and end up capitulating to “alternative” meanings for life G. We should not find this surprising; the pull toward worldly ways of thinking is great, and many remain wedded to them! H. In order to exhort one another toward relational unity with God and one another, we do well to expose the various purposes to life made ultimate in the world offered as substitutes I. Let us explore perhaps the all-paramount purpose: me! J. Is life all about me? II. The Ascendancy of the Individual A. Perhaps nothing identifies the modern world more than its preoccupation with the individual and the goal to eliminate any structural or systemic hindrance to his or her empowerment 1. It is not as if the ancient world had no concern for a person as an individual, but the focus always remained on an individual as part of his or her community 2. We see this in Israel: witness how the Law does speak about the ethics of individual behavior, and individuals make up the covenant people of God, but much is stated about communal actions, communal guilt, communal consequences (e.g. Leviticus) 3. In a savage irony it was Protestant Christianity, and its esteem of the valuation of each individual person and his or her conscience before God, which encouraged Western emphasis on the individual 4. The valuation of humanity in general grew ever greater after the Renaissance, culminating in the Enlightenment theory of reason as the ultimate arbiter, and the ability of people to assess the reasonability of a given claim or idea 5. Locke’s political theories, as influenced by this Enlightenment culture, would empower people to have a voice in their own governance; his theories would provide the foundation for the Declaration of Independence 6. American cultural attitudes glorified the individual, from the patriot who resisted the British tyranny to the self-made man in business or the self-made man building a farm on the frontier B. And yet, as the individual became ascendant, community and its norms declined 1. There is always a trade-off between the individual and the community; if one’s purposes is advanced, the other will lose out 2. We tend to think highly of the overthrow of the clout of the Catholic church and the monarchies of Europe, and it is true that they proved oppressive 3. Yet as we have exalted the individual and his or her will and purpose above all things, communal obligations and norms have suffered 4. Cohesive communities in America have declined consistently throughout its existence: people move in and out based on opportunity, people have less and less in common beyond geographic proximity, people have less loyalty to institutions C. And so, in the early 21st century, we are reaping what has been sown for generations: rampant individualism 1. Almost all the issues in the modern culture wars, politics, etc., revolve around the individual’s right vs. communal norms or needs 2. The pro-choice movement emphasizes personal autonomy and considers the perpetuation of pregnancy the choice of the mother; the pro-life movement, when not emphasizing the right of the unborn, emphasizes the communal norm of the valuation of life and the sublimation of the individual woman’s rights for the benefit of her child 3. The whole existence of the debate about gender identity derives from the philosophy suggesting gender is a societal construct and thus one is able to choose which gender, if any, they’d like to reflect 4. Meanwhile, libertarianism vaunts the individual’s right to choose over any sort of governmental interference, thinking of liberty almost entirely in terms of autonomy of the individual as opposed to the interests of the group as a whole 5. And so in healthcare debates the issue revolves around the good or the choice of the individual vs. the needs of the many; a similar thing is true about the safety net and entitlement programs 6. The climate of morality is a direct result of rampant individualism: what shared values are left on which to adjudicate what is right or wrong? Hence our descent into relativism, since the value of the individual is now of the greatest priority! 7. And so this is not a left vs. right, Christian vs. unbeliever, or any such thing; in the arena today, everyone is all about the individual on some issues, and would rather uphold some kind of communal value on other issues 8. And yet much is rarely done because the individualist emphasis on both sides ends up proving ascendant! 9. Meanwhile, our community life is abysmal: people barely know their neighbors, feel little loyalty to community institutions, and live generally isolated and self-absorbed lives pursuing their individual empowerment! D. Example: How could we attempt to convince someone that it is a good idea to have children? 1. “Back in the day,” such was not even a question: people enjoyed the process too much without the ability to hinder conception; furthermore, children were reckoned as blessings, if nothing else, to provide labor and support in old age (Psalm 127:3-5, Matthew 15:1-6) 2. Yet now we have birth control; we have Social Security and no expectation for children to provide for their parents 3. Parenting is a transformative, humbling experience, in which another being is entirely dependent upon you, and you willingly serve them and devote yourself to their advancement 4. Thus, by its very definition, to have a child is to sublimate oneself and what he or she may desire out of life for the benefit of another 5. Yes, indeed, many have children and still try to live for themselves, with varying levels of success dependent on privilege and support systems 6. But not a few have decided not to have children so they can advance their careers and pursue self-fulfillment 7. Considering the spirit of our age, in which children are taught in school to be whatever they want to be, and pursue their dreams no matter what, how could we go about persuading such a one of the importance or value of having children when it does hinder ultimate self-fulfillment? E. And so, in the early twenty-first century, we have seen the pendulum swing toward the individual about as far as it can possibly swing III. The Individual and the Community A. Humans are social animals yet with distinct personality and skills 1. Attested powerfully in Scripture 2. Man made in God’s image; God as one in perichoretic relational unity, three Persons, one God, their oneness not hindering personality, their personality not lost in oneness (Genesis 1:26-27, John 17:20-23) 3. People have different abilities and different levels of abilities (Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Corinthians 12:12-28, 1 Peter 4:9-11) 4. Also a highly observable phenomenon: we want to express ourselves as individuals, and yet we also want to be with other people and fit into some group or another 5. Even if we profess to not want to fit into any group, well, that’s generally a group with a predictable set of characteristics in and of themselves! 6. Completely antisocial people, in general, manifest certain psychopathic tendencies (e.g. the Unabomber); such is not an attempt to lack compassion, but to indicate how the exception proves the rule B. While humans both are individuals and wish to be part of a group greater than themselves, in general, a person can work to the benefit of the whole to the detriment of him or herself, or work to his or her own benefit to the detriment of the whole, but rarely is able to benefit both self and group 1. Consider our discussion of children earlier: either you will suffer loss of personal advancement to serve your children, or neglect your children to advance yourself; it is nearly impossible to benefit self and children both well 2. The needs of family, friends, associates, other community members will, at some point, get in the way of personal advancement or fulfillment! C. For this reason human life takes place in the tension between these two elements of mankind, the individual and the community 1. The tension really exists on a spectrum, with the extremist and never realized all community, no individualism on one side, and no community, all individualism on the other side 2. There have been experiments attempting to manifest the extremes, but they have never come to any fruition 3. All cultures and societies fall somewhere on this spectrum, often uncomfortably D. As we have attested, most trends in Western culture have moved more on the individual over the community side of the spectrum, mostly as a reaction to the suffocation which was felt by individuals under the communal values and institutions of the past E. Nevertheless, we cannot abandon all community or communal institutions without great harm to ourselves, because we are not made to be islands! 1. We are not self-made people: parents, teachers, bosses, customers, etc. have invested in us and have given of themselves so we could get to this point 2. We are not only more individualistic, we are also more isolated than ever, alienated than ever, and depressed and anxious than ever 3. Upon whom can we truly depend? It seems that even investment in others is done with an eye for personal gain or aggrandizement! 4. What would happen in an emergency? A natural disaster? 5. The fraying of community has led to a general indifference if not outright hostility toward our fellow man: they are no longer joint participants in life, but hindrances to our advancement or movement F. Our movement toward deep individualism proves problematic! IV. God’s Purposes for the Individual and the Community A. Let none be deceived: God’s purpose is not to turn anyone into a robot or to lose their distinctiveness as a person B. The Bible does not teach complete selflessness; quite the contrary! 1. Throughout the New Testament the presumption exists that a person will take care of themselves 2. Philippians 2:4: not only look to our own interests, but also the interests of others; Paul’s language, by necessity, demands we look to our own interests to some degree 3. Ephesians 5:29: for Paul it is axiomatic that a person takes care of his own flesh, nourishing it and cherishing it C. Furthermore, God made us as unique individuals 1. Our individuality is not a bug, but part of the design (1 Corinthians 12:12-28) 2. Each person has unique skills and experiences 3. These differences are to be celebrated and honored, not despised! D. Yet Scripture is very clear that our lives are not for the pursuit of our own benefit and aggrandizement (2 Timothy 2:3); in Christ we are called to serve others and share in the community of the people of God in Christ! 1. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: we are not our own, but bought with a price, so we should glorify God in our bodies 2. All of the passages speaking of our individuality are in terms of different parts of the body fulfilling their specific functions (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-28, 1 Peter 4:10-11) 3. Just as our bodies have unique parts doing unique tasks, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the whole, so Christians are to take what God has given them and use them to His glory and to benefit his or her fellow Christians and all men as we have opportunity (Galatians 6:10, 1 Peter 4:10) E. The whole topic of salvation is wrapped up in this tension, both in Scripture and in society 1. Salvation in Christ has been all too Americanized: it is now almost everywhere envisioned almost solely in terms of the “personal relationship” between a person and his or her God 2. The whole sinner’s prayer revival factory is predicated on such rampant individualism 3. Insert a consumeristic mindset, and not only do we explain modern “worship” trends, but also why people think of salvation as a commodity to obtain and use and then continue on as they were before! 4. It is true in Scripture that God’s purpose is for each and every person to come to God in Christ and be saved based on individual trust and faith in God (John 3:16, 17:20-23, 1 Timothy 1:15, 2:4) 5. Yet God’s purpose never ends with the individual: he or she is to become one with fellow believers as they have become one with God in Christ; he or she must remain connected to Jesus as the Vine, and Jesus and fellow believers as the body of Christ, the temple of Holy Spirit, and the household of God; Christ has redeemed His bride, the church, which will be glorified and endure forever (John 15:1-7, 17:20-23, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 12:12-28, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Peter 2:5-9, Revelation 21:1-22:6) 6. Within the body of Christ there is the expectation of individual efforts in individual realms, of course, but also encouragement, sustenance, and development of one another, serving one another (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-28, 1 Peter 4:7-11) 7. Thus, while salvation has an individual component, it is for collective ends! F. And so Philippians 2:1-4: Christians are to be humble, thinking of the interests of others; this is antithetical to a focus on self-promotion and self-aggrandizement 1. Have you ever been part of a church or really any group in which a few, or perhaps even most, of its members were convinced of their own excellence and insisted on getting their way? 2. Such groups may feature a collective of people, but there’s no cohesion in that group; such a group is headed for factionalism and division until many repent and seek to find ways to work together! 3. Working together in community, by its very nature, requires compromise, discomfort for some or many, and a willingness to sublimate one’s personal opinion or desires beneath what will work best for the group as a whole 4. In short, you can either be “right,” or in relationships! V. Conclusion A. We have seen the rampant individualism manifest in modern American society; we have explored the tension between individual and community needs and values B. We have seen that the Christian life cannot be all about me 1. Yes, I am to take care of my personal needs and take care of myself... 2. ...but to what end would I exalt myself as an individual and my unique characteristics? 3. God has made me as a unique person, with certain skills and experiences, and that is well and good 4. But to truly thrive I must be part of a greater whole, the body of Christ, in which I can serve in my capacities, connected to God in Christ for nourishment and sustenance, and connected to my fellow members in the body of Christ for encouragement and edification C. The rampant individualism embraced by our culture is a lie 1. You cannot be anything you want; you do well to use what you have to glorify God, serve others, and share in community 2. Single-minded devotion to self-advancement does not lead to self-fulfillment; it leads to a great emptiness as one learns that getting ahead without developing relationships is miserably lonely 3. You cannot be self-made; you are the product of the influences of others who have served you in various capacities 4. You are not an island; you live among others and are to share in life with others 5. You are unique and special...just like everybody else! D. True life can only be found in the context of encouraging relationships 1. In order to truly live and enjoy life, you need people with whom to enjoy it 2. No one likes the succubus that draws strength and energy from others without giving in turn; true relationships must be reciprocal 3. Only when in the relative comfort of a healthy support system can any individual truly thrive E. And so we get back to God’s purposes for you and me in Christ! 1. God has made each of us to be a unique mixture of skills and experiences 2. God has given us the ability to find redemption in Jesus; we are not saved as a class or because of group membership but on account of developing a trusting relationship with God in Christ, to be in God as He is in us, spiritual relational unity (John 15:1-7, 17:20-23) 3. Our life-giving connection with God does not exist in isolation; it is within the context of the body of Christ, with fellow believers, in a reciprocally encouraging and edifying association with them (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 12:12-28) 4. We will have to give of ourselves; we will have to be considerate of others; we may be called upon to lay down our lives (1 John 3:16)! F. Yet, in Christ, we can become all God made us to be, and find true satisfaction in a life in relational unity with God and His people G. May we find eternal life with God in Christ and be saved! H. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy (2 Timothy 3:2). American society today is all about the individual. Across the political spectrum people fight for the maintenance of individual rights regardless of the consequences to the community. People are told they can be whatever they want to be; their personal self-fulfillment should be achieved above all else. Yet it cannot be so among the people of God in Christ! 2: For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church (Ephesians 5:29). God presumes people will take care of themselves. We take care of our bodies; we work to provide for what we need. God has made us as individuals and appreciates our individual personalities and skills. May we all find salvation in God in Christ! 3: Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? And ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God does not justify or commend living for one’s own self-aggrandizement. To be in Christ means to have been redeemed by Jesus; therefore, we are no longer our own. God has paid for us in Christ; we must live to glorify Him! 4: “That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me” (John 17:21). Our culture’s maximal glorification of the individual is a lie. Individual thriving can only take place within a comfortably secure support system. We cannot imagine we can be reconciled to God yet alienated from His people! We cannot become one with God if we are not also striving to be one with His people. Our individual skills are to be used to glorify God and to serve others in the body of Christ. May we strive to live in God in Christ and as part of His body, the church, and find true life in Jesus!