Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 24, 2025 - 5th Week of Easter - Sat
[Acts 16:1-10 and John 15:18-21]"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." [John]
In English, the word "world" can be used in many different ways. It could mean the planet Earth or it could mean a kind of collective understanding shared by a group, among other things. What does it mean in the gospel passage today from the Gospel According to John? Basically, it means those who do not believe in Jesus as the one whom God has sent. There is a kind of "us against the world" meaning. Jesus is preparing the disciples to understand that they will meet opposition in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.
Some currents in Christian history up to the present time see "the world" as a source of evil. In this view, all things material are much less important than the transcendent. It can be forgotten that "the world" exists because God created it. Any evil is the result of human misuse of freedom. This is not original with Christianity. A study of Greek philosophy, especially Plato, reveals how distrust of things material crept into Christian thought.
Whether "the world" means material reality or beliefs contrary to Christian thought, wisdom demands that we be careful about setting up conflicts or oppositions - an "us against them" attitude. A wise missionary knows that respect for other traditions or "worlds" may be the first step toward acceptance of our own. AMEN
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