Philippians 2:1-13

Pentecost + 15 - Year A

Philippians 2:1-13

A fine goal, being of one mind. A bit difficult to pull off when one or more of the minds is a religious bully unable to hold more than their own mind or allow other minds their wisdom and experience.

The Christian tradition seems to claim that all those Jesus dealt with were bullies of one sort or another, yes, even the disciples periodically fell back into that predisposition.

Without a single mindedness among us, we are left with working out salvation with fear and trembling, with redoubled energy (for self and others). Actually, single-mindedness is not very stable if we are living in an entropic world with a living G*D. I expect that even in that high holy time of unity, there is still a wholeness to be worked on - particularly if I am expected to come to it in the same way you are.

So, assured enough to be humble or cowed into submission, there are no guarantees. Obedience is not sufficient on its own to claim salvation. We seem to be in it together and so my interest is in your coming as close to wholeness as you can and my doing the same. Though probably not identical in size or ripeness, each whole fruit is important in an expansive vineyard.