Romans 12:1-21
Sermon by Rev. Caela Simmons Wood
Sep. 15, 2024
“The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is both a countercultural and counter-political document.” [1]
So says Biblical scholar and theologian Israel Kamudzandu.
A countercultural and counter-political document.
Kamudzandu says Paul’s Epistle to the Romans “points to the global renaissance of a human family” whose story is always and forever wrapped up in God’s relentless, loving desire for our growth and healing. [2]
Many would consider it to be Paul’s masterpiece. And although I’ve certainly never written a letter that was a full-blown explication of my theology, that’s pretty much what Paul did here. He writes to the churches in Rome, introducing himself, thanking them for their faith, and then launching right into ten chapters of complex theological explications - mostly focused on the concept of salvation.
Over and over again, Paul makes it clear that those who are a part of the global Christian family are called to live countercultural lives - choosing with great intention to be shaped primarily by the workings of the Holy Spirit instead of the environments in which they live. And they are reminded again and again that while they may be physically living in the Roman Empire they are - instead - citizens of God’s Realm. And they can live free lives, assured that God has been, is now, and always will be working for their health and wholeness. Paul’s proclamation is that God’s gift of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is unparalleled and gives strength for living this countercultural, counter-political life while here on earth.
After going wayyyyyy in-depth on all of this, Paul makes a turn here in chapter 12. No longer focused solely on what God is doing, Paul outlines how life in God’s Realm is transformative. It’s not enough to simply receive the Gospel, he admonishes. You have to be changed by it. And those changes must be evident in your living, loving, working, playing, being. You might know that lovely Catholic hymn written in our own countercultural 1960s: “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”? That’s it. That’s what Paul is arguing for in this lengthy letter.
**********
This transformation is at the heart of our fall series here at First Congregational. We are going to be exploring CURIOSITY as a spiritual practice. How might our curiosity about other people lead to empathy, strengthened communities, and a more just world? Can our curiosity about God lead to spiritual growth by enlivening our prayer lives? And how might curiosity about ourselves create space for better mental health and our own healing?
Romans 12:2 is our theme verse for this journey: “Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…” It turns out that cultivating this spirit of curiosity in our lives is a surefire way to renew our minds and, in the process, allow God to transform our lives.
On our journey, we will be accompanied by ancient words like Paul’s letter to the Romans. And we will also have contemporary companions each week. Today I want to introduce you to a curiosity expert, speaker, and author named Scott Shigeoka. [3] Shigeoka talks about the differences between shallow and deep curiosity. Shallow curiosity is when we ask questions that keep us on the surface level. We wonder about something so we do Google search and find a quick and easy answer. “What will the weather be like this weekend?” Boom. I’ve got the answer. Shallow curiosity. Shigeoka says that this type of curiosity is primarily head-centered.
But if we can bring curiosity down into our hearts, it starts to take on a different quality. This type of curiosity moves beyond the intellect and into the realm of transformation. This is what Shigeoka calls deep curiosity. And it’s a curiosity that uses our desire to understand the world, others, and ourselves as a force for connection and community. So, for example, you meet someone at a party and ask them, “What’s your name? How do you spend your days?” Those are shallow-curiosity-level questions. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just a different kind of curiosity. And not likely to change anyone’s lives!
But to shift that conversation to the realm of deep curiosity might look like, “Where did your name come from?” or “How did you go into that line of work?” or “What’s inspiring you these days?”
Deep curiosity doesn’t have to involve small talk at a party (thank heavens). It can even be done with no talking at all. You could go on a walk around the block or sit down in a cafe. Might be a place you’ve frequented for years. But if you approach this mundane task with a spirit of deep curiosity, things change. Suddenly you notice the birds in the tree and they remind you of a book you used to read as a child. You notice that the family that’s just moved into the house on the corner has several bicycles in their yard and you wonder about the kinds of places they ride together. You read the coffee menu and discover that your coffee beans came from Peru and Ethiopia and you get curious about how beans from two different continents find their way into the same cup.
It’s important to note that one of the hallmarks of healthy deep curiosity is that it doesn’t seek to change anyone (well, except maybe ourselves). Shigeoka has a name for asking questions or gathering information to try and change another person: predatory curiosity. If there’s an agenda other than learning, growth, and self-transformation, it’s not deep curiosity.
The Apostle Paul writes about how individuals are all a part of one body. We all have different gifts, different functions, and different ways of being in the world. And we will all have slightly different ways of being curious. Isn’t that lovely? Just as Paul uses that embodied metaphor about the early church, Shigeoka reminds us that curiosity is an embodied practice. It’s like a muscle that we can build up over time. And he gives us a fun little acronym for focusing our energy as we work to build our curiosity muscle.
To get below the shallow surface, we have to dive deep, right? And so Shigeoka teaches that we can DIVE to strengthen our curiosity.
DIVE: Detach, Intend, Value, Embrace.
To practice deep curiosity, the first step is to detach. We need to let go of our “ABCs” - our “assumptions, biases, and certainty.” In other words: we need to lean into humility. MAYBE we don’t know everything there is to know. MAYBE there are surprises ahead. MAYBE we are even WRONG about something. Admitting our ignorance is not something particularly prized in our culture - so here we are being countercultural again.
Next, we intend to enter a posture of curiosity. And I’m using the word posture quite purposefully. Curiosity is an embodied practice and we can often strengthen this muscle by paying attention to our bodies. Slowing down, eyes open, deep breaths, literally leaning in to show our interest. Shigeoka says this intentionality is like being trapped in quicksand. If you fall into quicksand, your body is likely to have an involuntary, frantic reaction. You’ll probably start to flail as you panic. But if you can slow down for a minute, calm your body and mind, and stop flailing all over the place, you’re more likely to survive. Curiosity is like that. We’re caught off guard, we might feel our defenses rising. Blood rushing to our cheeks, bluster puffing up our chest, ears shutting down. But if we can pause and move with more intention, we might be able to stay curious.
Detach, intend, value. This one isn’t rocket science for those of us who are trying to follow Jesus. We need to seek the value of everyone we encounter. Every. Single. Other. Just as Paul reminds us we are all members of one body, we have to remember that though we may all look different and have different skills and purposes in this life, we are all a part of one body. Or as Martin Luther King, Jr. said so beautifully, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” [4]
Finally: embrace. This one sounds cozy but might not end up being your favorite. Shigeoka says that this work of deep curiosity is not always easy. Some of our best opportunities to practice it come during challenging moments in life. It can be tempting to give up and numb out when things get hard. But by embracing challenges, we can remember that growth often comes from the more difficult periods of life. Just as we grow our muscles at the gym when we stretch and challenge ourselves, our curiosity muscles grow in those places at the edge, too. Shigeoka cautions that it’s also important to have strong self-awareness about our boundaries and capabilities. This practice is not about pushing ourselves to the point of extreme pain and there are times when it’s healthy to step away from our curiosity practices. As one of my yoga teachers used to say, we get stronger when we experience discomfort, not pain.
This DIVING is a great, action-oriented model for us as we begin this exploration of curiosity together. Do you remember the components? Detach, Intend, Value, Embrace.
Let’s go back to the invitation to curiosity from the beginning of the service: Who is someone who is difficult for you to be curious about? Difficult for you to have compassion for? Let God speak to you about what you could notice about that person if you looked more closely.
I want to give you just a minute or two to consider that invitation now that you’ve heard a bit more about how to flex your curiosity muscles. Is there a place this week where you can practice curiosity? How can you detach, intend, value, and embrace in that place?
(silence for reflection)
May we continue to be transformed by the Spirit - our minds renewed as we seek to walk in the ways of Christ. Amen.
NOTES:
[2] Ibid.
[3] Scott Shigeoka’s book is called SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. I learned about his work here (https://www.templeton.org/news/how-deep-curiosity-can-change-the-world) and here (https://lynnborton.com/2023/11/16/how-curiosity-can-transform-your-life-change-the-world-with-scott-shigeoka/)
[4] MLK, Jr. Why We Can’t Wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment