Philippians 2:5-11

Lent 6 - Year B

Philippians 2:5-11

What to do with privilege is an ancient question with ever present significance.

Are teachers privileged? Americans? Wealthy (those who can’t spend what they make and whose money makes more money than they can)? Merciful (revealers of unexpected and undeserved kindness)? Christians?

Is privilege a natural resource to be strip mined? A commodity to be bought or sold or otherwise invested for one type of power or another? In limited supply during a zero-sum game? A gift for oneself or for the benefit of others?

Interesting how humanity is here not privileged (in G*D’s image), but imaged as being slaves (of Satan?, sin?, status quo?). Where did this come from? If humans are made in the image of G*D, when has G*D not been found in human form? Seems there is a wrong question being asked if slavery is the outcome.

At the name of Jesus, a standing ovation and then a getting back to work of living seems more in order than doing a Tebow. We don’t get to confession or affirmation through guilt or creed. If Jesus carries G*D, so can any human. If Jesus can live fully enough to engage current laws in anticipation of their change, so can any human. So give Jesus his due, he revealed a G*D within. To honor this revelation, an appropriate response is not acquiescence but imitation.