A sermon by Senior Minister John B. McCall, January 14, 2007
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
In the late 19th century a small company in upstate New York manufactured industrial pigments for coloring and dying a wide range of products. Then, in 1903 Binney and Smith found a market niche and produced the first Crayola™ brand crayons. There were eight colors: black, blue, brown, green, red, yellow, violet and orange. In 1949 the standard selection increased in 48 colors. And in 1958 they introduced the 64 crayon box with a built-in sharpener.
You can still buy crayons in the little box with eight colors, but who wouldn’t rather have the super gigantic assortment with 120 colors, including inchworm, wild blue yonder and mango tango?
And why, oh why, with so many beautiful colors, do some still see their world in black and white – with everything this way or everything that way? I suppose at first it makes some things appear easier. When your world is black and white you don’t have to listen really – or talk, for that matter. You don’t have to sit at a table with people who see the world differently and wrestle with a tough issue. You just say “I’m the decider so I’ll decide.” And everyone else is supposed to agree.
If you see the world in black and white then you think some people are good and righteous and worthy; and then there’s everyone else. Lot’s of people think that way. And so do lots of people who call themselves Christians.
Here at the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ on Meetinghouse Hill, we don’t think Jesus lived that way or taught us that lesson. Our default position is that every person God has made is worthy. And we believe that everyone who steps in that door and sits in these pews in response to God’s love through Jesus Christ is welcome here.
• I think often of our friend Joe Greeley who lived life in his wheel chair with a body rendered uncooperative by a spinal cord injury; and how whole his spirit was and how bright his laughter was; and how much we miss him. He died two years ago in a tragic accident.
• I think of you who are blind, who help us to see with our hearts; you who are deaf who help us to hear with our souls
• I think of you who are grieving the death of a loved one, or the death of a dream or the death of innocence, who teach us about new life.
• I think of you who feel so alone and afraid but who teach us about the healing power of community.
• I think of each of you who quietly carries your story and your meaning;
• and you who think quite differently from me but who are certainly brothers and sisters in Christ.
It would be wrong-headed to say we’re trying to be tolerant. That would suggest we follow the principle of “don’t ask, don’t tell;” keep quiet and blend in. We intend to say you’re welcome here if you want to grow in faith and if you want to offer your varied gifts for the sake of the community of believers.
Many years ago we agreed and voted together to say publicly that we’re an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. To be open means to welcome all sorts of people. We’ve done that quite well for years. To be affirming is harder – meaning that we recognize God is embodied in each of us in some unique way. Each of us brings our own color and flavor and texture to the mix. When we listen to each other and love each other as Jesus loved, we get an amazing glimpse of God’s will and intent.
That’s what happens when you move beyond seeing the world in black and white. That’s what happens when you say the box of crayons with eight colors doesn’t express the way the world really is.
Sometimes we understand that our way of seeing the world harms others. That’s why, in 1962, the Binney and Smith Company changed the Crayola color named “flesh” to peach; and in 1999 the color “Indian Red” was changed to chestnut.
God’s great box of crayons has infinite colors and shades. Each has its place and each of us has our favorites. None is better than any other. You won’t use them all in drawing your life but your neighbors or friends may well use the very colors you avoid.
Martin Luther King, Jr., refused to be silent as he led the great movement to liberate African-Americans from the chains of prejudice and the legacy of slavery. At the same time he rallied millions of Caucasians who knew that racism infected every corner of our culture and that the true gifts of the Spirit are for the benefit of all. He represented the dream that the day would come when sisters and brothers would be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin, or the place they were born, or the gender of the one they love.
For us, being the church also means that we understand Kermit the Frog’s theme song: it’s not that easy being green – or brown or white or purple or red or blue or yellow, for that matter.
It’s not that easy being alone, or being in a bad marriage; it’s not that easy being poor or gay or young or old. It’s not that easy when the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, or when the spirit is tired too.
But if that’s who we are, then thank God we have a place where we’re loved and accepted by others trying to live the example of Jesus. Gradually we learn to celebrate our distinctive shades and experiences – and we learn to blend into a much larger picture of what God is doing.
Our diversity is a strength. Our different perspectives are a gift from God. Mark Twain gave us a helpful reminder when he said if two people agree on everything one of them isn’t necessary. In looking around at the great variety of people I suspect God feels the same way. Our many colors, ideas, opinions and convictions remind us that God doesn’t see in black and white.
When we draw the world in black and white Jesus looks us in the eye and reminds us that’s what the Pharisees did. And when we try to color the world with just eight colors we get stuck. Maybe that was enough when we were three, but as you grow the pallet needs to get larger and larger. Eventually you see the blessing of the huge box, the whole array of gifts, the whole rainbow.
The Apostle Paul helped the first century Corinthians wrestle with questions about the varied gifts of the Spirit. They wanted to know how to live in harmony, when some had highly visible gifts such as healing or working miracles or speaking in tongues; and others had understated gifts and abilities that were almost unnoticed.
Does this mean some are more spiritual than others, and that true believers always exhibit more conspicuous gifts? Does this make it impossible for them all to live together in community? No, says the Apostle. Everyone who’s mindful of the common good and motivated by the Holy Spirit is welcomed.
Remember: now as then, people have diverse gifts, services and activities – you’ll know they’re blessings from God when they use their gifts to build up the body. Anything that ignores the commonwealth becomes selfish and destructive; like whoever was driving the truck sporting a bumper sticker that said: “I know how you feel – I just don’t care.”
Through the steady efforts of our Diversity Committee – and so many more – we try to keep the dream alive.
We can embrace (not tolerate but embrace!) the many gifts we see among us. Our unity comes from the common desire to be like Jesus himself, using every talent and gift for the sake of the world. All together we’re God’s great box of crayons.