Cooperation as charity: A radical concept today

In recent days, images of Los Angeles on fire have been broadcast to the whole world. Even Pope Francis sent his personal remarks to this great modern metropolis praying for all emergency service personnel and any others who need strength in the Lord. The destruction continues to be a source of confusion for many. Where is God in all of this? It is easier, however, to find God at work in the response of every member of society willing to lend a hand to rebuild this community. Fire is indeed destructive but it has long been used in the Bible as a symbol of the Holy Spirit descending upon a community to strengthen it. 

In this Sunday’s second reading, Paul writes to an early Christian community living in the great ancient city of Corinth. He expresses concern about their cooperation as the one body of Christ. He emphasizes that the gifts of the Spirit should draw the community together into one body. Instead, competition and misunderstanding over these gifts threaten to tear the community apart. By helping the Corinthians understand their role as members of one body, Paul continues to teach Christians today about resilience and cooperation.

The first letter to the Corinthians is a treasure that offers an unparalleled glance into life in the early Church. Its main purpose is to address divisions in the church, answer questions and confront problems within liturgical gatherings. Following a section on the Lord’s Supper, Paul begins to address the question of spiritual gifts, known as “charisms” in Greek. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,” instructs Paul, “but the same Spirit” (1 Cor 12:4). The gifts referred to here are freely and graciously given from above. The Corinthians have become somewhat stuck on one particular charism, the gift of tongues associated with prophesying and interpretation of a message. “To another prophecy,” says Paul, “to another discernment of spirits, to another varieties of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor 12:10). One and the same Spirit produces them all.

Even today, there are Christians from every denomination who seek out the gifts of the Spirit in charismatic prayer communities. I remember attending charismatic conferences in Los Angeles where I grew up. These gatherings emphasized prayer and spirituality, and they often cited this Sunday’s second reading as a justification for the gift of tongues as a form of communal prayer. What was often missing from this use of scripture was the fuller context for Paul’s writing. On the one hand, Paul reminded the community both then and now, to “strive eagerly” for charisms of the Spirit. On the other hand, Paul quickly follows that encouragement with a deeper call, “But I shall show you a still more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:30-31). Only then does he describe agape love, sometimes called “charity,” the self-sacrificial love that typifies discipleship in Christ (1 Cor 12:31-13:13).

Paul’s concern was the Corinthians’ misunderstanding of the spiritual gifts of discernment and prayer. His admonishment to them was to remember charity. “If I speak in human and angelic tongues,” continues Paul, “but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1). Charitable love of neighbor has the potential to cover a multitude of shortcomings within any community. Even in this Sunday’s Gospel, which relates the wedding feast at Cana, one finds an interchange between Jesus and his mother in which he was hesitant to reveal himself before he was ready. Mary held on to her hope in Jesus’ charitable love towards the wedding guests, “Do whatever he tells you,” she tells the waiters (Jn 2:5). This inspires Jesus to act on his friends’ behalf, and he tells the waiter, “Fill the jars with water” (Jn 2:7).

The historic destruction of the city of Los Angeles calls for a charitable sacrifice. Love of neighbor ranks greater than all the spiritual gifts combined that appear more mystical in nature. In reality, charity practiced among a community is an authentic sign of God’s presence in the physical world. May we who bear the Spirit in one body of Christ join to care for the members who are suffering.