Gifted for the Common Good

Based on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

This weekend we remember and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King and his leading role in the civil rights movement. He has been identified in many ways: prophet, visionary, communist, rabble rouser, black Moses. He identified himself as a Baptist preacher. And oh how he could preach. His oratorical skills were incredible. He moved a nation with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. His visionary leadership went beyond equity for black Americans. He wanted to see a world devoid of racism, militarism, and economic exploitation. He dreamed of what he called the beloved community. It is that vision of beloved community that inspires me personally and has come to guide my work as a pastor and with the Shalom Zone. I believe that beloved community describes God’s dream for human society, even all of creation. This vision of beloved community has been an inspiration for millions of people all around the world.

That’s important to keep in mind as we remember Martin Luther King. This was not a one-person movement. King didn’t advance civil rights all by himself. Countless numbers of people in big and small ways did their part. King was able to cast a vision of what can be in a way that inspired the multitude to action, to build a society that reflected that vision. The advances of the civil rights movement and the work of realizing the dream of the beloved community is a group effort. It is about people being engaged in their communities, being engaged in politics, making economic choices, helping people in need, offering grace and forgiveness, doing what you can for the common good. The revolution of love that King called for must be a group effort.

The civil rights movement and the living legacy of Martin Luther King’s dream are examples of what Paul has in mind when he spoke of the spiritual gifts. Paul said that each of us have been given a spiritual gift, as the Spirit determines, and that those gifts are to be activated in our lives for the common good. Let’s break this down.

First, each one of us has been gifted. You may say to me, “I don’t have a spiritual gift, or if I do, I don’t know what it is.” I understand. The gifts we have may not be obvious. It may take some discernment to identify what your gift is. You may have to live some life and have some experiences that call upon you to respond, and in that response, you discover what your gift is. You likely will have someone who knows you point out to you what your gift is. For those who don’t think they have a spiritual gift or don’t know what it is, I want to assure you that you do have a gift. You can find spiritual gift inventories that can help you identify your gift. You could look at the different lists of spiritual gifts like the one we heard today, and reflect on those gifts. Which ones resonate with you? Also, keep in mind that the lists of spiritual gifts we find in the scriptures are not all inclusive. It could be your gift isn’t listed. For example, some people have the gift of hospitality, of creating a space where people feel welcomed and safe to be themselves. But that gift isn’t in any of the lists. What I would say is, your spiritual gift is how you are naturally compelled to act for the common good.

Second, we didn’t get to choose our gift. Many of us provide our beloveds a wish list as Christmas is approaching. That wish list could also be called a shopping list if we aren’t careful, especially if the wish list is very specific about what we want. But we also hope that we will get a couple gifts that weren’t on the wish list. That is, a gift that we didn’t think of that is just right. Sometimes, though, we get a gift that, well, it also wasn’t something we thought of. That gift will either sit somewhere collecting dust or find its way to a white elephant gift exchange. Let’s not forget that a gift is by definition something we didn’t choose. Even if we provide a highly detailed description of the gift we want, someone has to decide to get the gift. We don’t get a gift for ourselves. That’s not a gift, that’s a purchase. The Spirit has determined what gift we are to have. We may have our preferences of what kind of gift we want, but in the end, we receive the gift we have been given.

Third, the gift we have been given is meant to be used for the common good. The Spirit didn’t randomly give you a gift. The gift you received was given with intention and purpose. What a shame if you kept that gift on the proverbial shelf or somewhere in the attic collecting dust. Nor was your gift given for your own personal glory, to impress people, for your own personal benefit, or anything like that. The intent of these spiritual gifts is so that we can use these gifts to impact society, so that the world will be more like how God wants it to be.

When we use our gifts, this is how God is manifesting in the world. We believe that God is present and active in the world, not sitting somewhere removed from the world watching to see how things work out. Nor does God just magically make things happen. Even miracles involve the actions of people. Creation itself is involved in any miracle. The world that God dreams is manifested through the actions of people. God is present and active in the world through us. We are in a relationship with God. We fulfill God’s purposes for the world when we activate the spiritual gifts that God has given us. Our gifts are meant to be used so that God can work through our actions. This is why it is important for us to not only know what our gift is but to activate it in our lives. This is how the world God dreams of is manifested in the world.

For those of you who know what your spiritual gift is, I hope you are encouraged to activate that gift for the common good. Your efforts may seem small but remember that what you do is actually God working through you, so it matters and it makes a difference. All the ways each of us engages with society adds up and collectively makes a difference. I know that there are times when we look at the state of the world with its brokenness and ugliness and worry about where things are headed, what kind of world our kids and grandkids will endure. I worry about it too. But I also imagine what the world be like if there was no one trying to make the world better. It truly could be so much worse if God was not active in the world through our lives.

So, I want to end with a quote from someone who deeply shaped the spirituality of Martin Luther King. It was said that wherever he went on his travels, King would take with him two books: the Bible and a book written by Howard Thurman entitled Jesus and the Disinherited. Howard Thurman was a mystic, a poet, one who was deeply committed to the work of reconciliation, of creating a world that reflected beloved community. I invite you to reflect on this quote, especially if you are not sure what you have to offer, what your gift is or how you can make a difference in the world.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” What are you passionate about? What do you do that gives you energy rather than saps your energy, that makes you come alive? Whatever that is, there’s a good chance that this is a manifestation of your spiritual gift. So do that, not just because you enjoy it, or that it energizes you or makes you come alive, but because that is how God is able to work through you to make a difference, to realize God’s dream of the beloved community.