Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
First delivered Feb. 2, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            Who are the ones that got picked first on the playground when you were dividing up teams? I can almost guarantee the first ones picked were either the friends of the captain picking the teams or the ones the captain thought were the most athletic. They were likely the strongest and tallest boys. It was highly unlikely if girls ever got picked first, even if they were the most athletic and could beat any of the boys. What got you picked first was your physical appearance, your gender, and your reputation as a good athlete.

            When it comes to picking our favorites, we all have a tendency to choose those we think are the best. Why would we intentionally choose people who we don’t think are as good as others? Depending on what values or abilities we are looking for, we all tend to choose among our options those who have the best looks, who are the smartest, who have the most experience, who are the most skilled, who are the most talented. That is just the way it is.

            Something else I have noticed is that often, when we think of famous or powerful people who we have never seen in real life, we have a tendency to imagine that they are tall. A lot of people have said to me that when they met someone famous they were surprised when they realized how short they are. They just assumed they would be tall. We seem to connect being famous with being tall.

            One day, when I was in seminary, I was walking down the hall in the basement of the administration building. It happened that Archbishop Desmond Tutu was on sabbatical at my seminary. For those who don’t know, he is a well known figure who provided critical leadership in South Africa to end the apartheid system and to establish what was called the truth and reconciliation commission. This was a process in which officials of the apartheid system could publicly talk about the atrocities they participated in against the black people who lived in South Africa and to express their remorse with the understanding that they would then be relieved of any kind of punishment. It allowed for truth telling and the acknowledgment of wrong, which are the first steps toward reconciliation. Anyway, as I was walking down the hall, at the other end of the hall I saw this short black man walking toward me. As we got closer, I realized that was Archbishop Tutu! We greeted each other and kept walking. He is at least two or three inches shorter than me. It blew my mind. I was sure that someone of such great stature and moral courage had to be a tall man. Nope. I am curious if he was one of the first ones picked when teams were dividing up on the playground.

            We have recently been reminded that we are a fame-obsessed society. The tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, along with seven other people, in a fiery helicopter crash, rocked the nation. So many people expressed disbelief and shock when they heard the news. A number of fan tributes have been posted. People who knew Kobe Bryant talked about him and the impact he made. I wouldn’t want to take away or minimize the feelings of those who were shocked by and are grieving his loss. It was a tragic accident. It was a painful reminder that the next day is never guaranteed. But the truth is, tragic accidents happen every day. The only reason this made such an impact on the nation was that the person who died was famous. So many people, myself included, mourned his loss although they had never met him or even seen him play in person. Just because he was famous, so many people felt a connection to him. Not everyone got worked up about it, even if they knew who he was. But for a lot of people, his tragic death came as a shock. A famous person was lost and that triggered a wave of sorrow throughout the nation.

            Recently, the news made someone famous. Several weeks back, there was a mass shooting at a Wal Mart in El Paso. A mysterious man who was in the Wal Mart found a baby underneath some bodies. He pulled the baby out and then ran outside to put the baby somewhere safe. He then ran back into the Wal Mart to help people who had been shot. Later, he just melted away. No one knew who he was. Until a few days ago, his name was released to the public. His name is Lazaro Ponce. At the time, he was homeless, living in a tent at a nearby homeless camp. Here’s a man who was likely overlooked all the time. Yet, here he is, acting with courage in a time of need without making a name for himself. He didn’t stand before cameras or talk to reporters. He went on with his life. It was the police who finally figured out who he was through surveillance footage and released his name to the public. I wonder if those we admire who are famous would have been as brave and as non-attention seeking as Lazaro Ponce.

            Many years ago, I received a call from a woman who was in need of help. She was living in a dump, a house that was completely overrun with roaches. She was living there with her three grandchildren. Her daughter was mentally unstable and had threatened more than once that she would kill her own mother. The lady and her grandkids had to get out of this place and find somewhere else to live. My wife and I talked it over and decided we would let them live at our house temporarily until she found another place. Let me tell you, this woman was amazing. I wish I remember her name. Being in her life for a few weeks, I got some insight into how poor people on public assistance have to deal with the byzantine bureaucracy of social service agencies to get the support they need for themselves and their kids or, in this case, grandkids. She had binders full of documents that she had to carry around and appointments all over the place. Every day was a struggle. But she kept at it because she loved her grandkids, all the while worried that her daughter might show up at any time and do her harm, never mind the racism she had to endure as a black woman. Such a life she lived. How many people overlooked her and had no idea of the struggle she was enduring. But she is a hero. I wonder if those we often admire who are famous would have the ability and persistence to do what she was able to do.

            In our myths and fairy tales, we celebrate the superhero who comes in to save the day: Superman, Prince Charming, the Lone Ranger, Rambo. Does anyone remember Mighty Mouse? What about Underdog? These movie franchises of Marvel and DC Comics are all based on superheroes with super-powers who face down the bad guys and save the world.

            But the reality is that in times of need, when a hero is called for, there are no superheroes who fly in or ride in to save the day or make everything all right. No, the heroes are everyday people, just ordinary people that do extraordinary things when presented with the opportunity. Yes, sometimes famous people get to be the hero in real life. But nine times out of ten the hero is someone the public has never heard of. They have never had their names in the paper. No one has asked for their autograph. They may not have even been one of the first ones picked for teams on the playground. Every day, ordinary people do extraordinary things. And, often, they aren’t even noticed.

            Jesus, of course, was no ordinary person. But he also didn’t act like a superhero. He didn’t ride in on his donkey to save the day. He didn’t travel solo or with a trusty sidekick. Instead, he had a team, of at least twelve disciples and who knows how many more, including several women, who traveled with him. He shared his power, giving his disciples authority over demons so that they also could work miracles of healing. According to the gospel of Mark, Jesus was always trying to keep his healing miracles under the radar. Repeatedly he would tell people he healed to keep it quiet. But, they didn’t. They would tell everyone Jesus healed them. Jesus wasn’t looking for fame. He was just doing the will of his Father. He had many admirers. But there were also a lot of people who did not treat him like a hero. He had his share of detractors. And, as we know, Jesus died like a common criminal, stripped, beaten, nailed to a cross, and mocked by those who passed by. That is no way for a hero to be treated. And yet, this is the very son of God, of whom Paul wrote in the letter to the Philippians: “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself…he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Jesus did not act like a famous person or like a superhero. I wonder if he was one of the first ones picked for teams on the playground.

            Jesus’ disciples were ordinary people. Several of the twelve were fishermen. This was work that required courage, discipline and skill. But being a fisherman was not likely something that would make you famous, where you would have poems told about you or have statues made in your honor or your face on coins. One of the disciples was a tax collector. Not heroic. One was called Simon the Zealot. Zealots were another name for freedom fighters, or, if you were the target of their activities, they would be called terrorists. Simon the Zealot could have been a hero if he managed to pull off an impressive attack against the Roman occupation. But, the Romans certainly wouldn’t have considered him a hero. And, as far as we know, Simon the Zealot was not famous for his freedom fighting skills. He was likely an ordinary person like the rest of Jesus’ disciples. They were not wealthy, except maybe Matthew the tax collector. They were probably not wise, like some great teacher. None of them were of noble birth. And yet, Jesus called them to follow and they went with him. They are known and honored to this day as the apostles of Jesus. They were ordinary people that did extraordinary things.

            The people that started the church we are worshipping in were ordinary people like us. Some of them were likely fairly wealthy, or they were business leaders or had some place of prominence in the community. Or, maybe not. But whoever they were, the founding members of our church were not rich and famous. They were ordinary people motivated by an extraordinary vision: to birth a new church that would reach out and minister to the people that live in the neighborhood. With strong and faithful leadership, the pooling of resources, and working together, that first group of ordinary disciples started the congregation that you are a part of today. Ordinary people working together doing extraordinary things.

            Sometimes I wish that there were superheroes who could sweep in and fix things. I’m not just thinking about the struggles we are having as a church. There are all kinds of challenges that I wish a superhero could come in and fix: challenges in the community, in the nation, and all around the world. There is a lot that needs fixed. Quite honestly, there are more challenges than any superhero could tackle alone, no matter how powerful they might be. We have a lot of problems that need to be addressed. Where’s a superhero when you need one?

            The reality is that it is ordinary people like us that God chooses to do extraordinary things. God doesn’t work through us to solve big problems in one fell swoop. It is millions of tiny actions that eventually make the difference. It is simply not the case that a single wise person or a single strong person can alone fix any of the challenges we face in this world. Whether it be racism, or homelessness, or ecological disasters, or hunger, or poverty, or corruption, or whatever else, no one wise person or strong person can fix these problems. It takes the multiplied actions of ordinary people that, over time, can lead to extraordinary change for the good. That’s how God operates. Jesus didn’t work solo. He had a team. Or, I should say, he has a team and you and I are on that team. He picked us to be on his team.

            Because it is ordinary people who, together, do extraordinary things, we have reason to give glory to God. It is God, always acting behind the scenes, inspiring, encouraging, empowering, creating the opportunities, for ordinary people to act in ways that make a positive difference in the world. This is God’s work being done through ordinary people like you and me. John Wesley regularly taught that any good work we do is made possible solely by the grace of God. Each of us do make a positive difference in the world. The world is a better place because we are living in it as participants on God’s team. To God be all the glory.

            We give God the glory because we are ordinary people. Yes, we each have talents and skills. But we don’t have superhuman talents and skills. We are able to go about and do things because God makes that possible. We depend on God for our life, for God is the source of life. So, we give God the glory for each day we have and for each opportunity to do good in the world, so that the world can be a better place, a clearer reflection of God’s intention. Just as God depends on us to do good in the world, so we depend on God to inspire and empower us to do that good work.

            So, here is our challenge. God has called us, chosen us, to demonstrate God’s healing and redeeming power in the world. We are on God’s team. Jesus is the captain of the team we are on. We are ordinary people who together make an extraordinary team with an extraordinary purpose, to be witnesses of Jesus’ saving power and to demonstrate God’s healing love in the world. Our extraordinary purpose is to be about mending God’s creation. That’s what God wants to do through us. Will we allow ourselves to be used of God? Are we open to the possibility that God can and will use us for the purpose of redeeming the world? God has chosen us ordinary folk to be on God’s team. Will we take the field and participate in God’s great work of salvation?

            Join me as I pray on our behalf the prayer written by John Wesley, a prayer of commitment to be available for God’s purposes. Let us pray:



I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low by you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.