As I inch closer to retirement I am keeping only a small fraction of the books I formerly owned. One of those special books I keep on my shelf is Robert Bellah’s Habits of the Heart. The title is from Alexis de Tocqueville who, writing about us in Democracy in America from 1835 to 1839, discovered “Habits of the Heart”--he named family life, religious convictions and participation in local politics--as helping to form the unique American character. They were habits that would help sustain free institutions, De Tocqueville said. But he also suggested that individualism, a word he was one of the earliest to use and long since a catchword for the American character, could prove dangerous, setting citizens apart from one another, making positive collective action difficult if not impossible, and therefore threatening those same free institutions. In “the churches and synagogues,” the Bellah group wrote, “there are still operating among us…traditions that tell us about the nature of the world, about the nature of society, and about who we are as a people.” The sense of commitment embedded in various spiritual and theological traditions is crucial, Bellah argued, to the maintenance of a healthy civil society.
North of that great experiment in individualism we Canadians embrace a more collective understanding of society but we watch the same television, the same movies, we spend our winters in Florida and participate in a similar capitalist economy. We are not nearly as different as we like to let on. And individualism has its effects on our civil society as well and not all of is problematic. Many Canadians rely on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect them from any government or institution that would consider treating some of us differently than others, removing opportunities for those who are vulnerable to the advantage of those with privilege. My Asian daughter, thanks to the Charter, cannot be denied entrance to an institution that historically only opened its door to white Christian straight men like me.
But our ever-growing and rampant libertarianism can make it difficult to remind Canadians that we are “our sister’s and brother’s keeper.” The conversations that unsettle me begin with “we all make our own bed” and “charity begins at home” and “it’s all about opportunity, once you have had the chance to succeed my concern for you is no longer necessary.” I worry deeply about the “ties that bind” us. I worry that we are increasingly becoming focused on ourselves and losing the “Habits of the Heart” that connect us at our deepest level.
In the times of the Apostle Paul the challenges to the church were different. When Paul writes to the church in Corinth, he addresses a group who feels that their rights and privileges as believers stand over and above the spiritual welfare of their brothers and sisters in Christ. Let me paint you a picture. The churches are booming, gentiles are joining in huge numbers. Some gentiles are following the example of the Jewish Christians, namely they are adhering to the law in a very intense fashion. Other gentiles have decided that God does not require them to follow the law, only Jesus. This creates challenges when new converts have different paths to the same vision. In Corinth there are some converts who believe they can do and say anything they want because Christ’s resurrection has afforded them total freedom. Meanwhile other gentiles who embrace the church are trying hard to follow the law and find their sisters and brothers who flaunt their “lawlessness” to be distractions and temptations. Think of alcoholics who now abstain from alcohol being confronted by a friend drinking in front of them. This “freedom” is abusive to the one who is trying to follow a different and harder behavior, not only is this approach insensitive, it also holds the potential of undermining best efforts and causing others to stray. Our journey of faith requires discipline, not indulgence.
Paul as a leader of churches is all about the sensitivity and consideration some churches ought to have for one another and some believers should have for one another. Paul writes pastoral letters extolling the virtues of churches and their witness and in particular will applaud a wealthy church that supports a poorer one. Similarly, Paul affirms individual Christians who show respect and consideration for those new converts who are vulnerable, easily tempted and set astray.
To achieve this witness, to be an example for others, Paul uses the example of the Greek Games, of the runner who strives to win the prize. Be like a runner who is intent on winning the prize, says Paul; run with that same intent. The point of the illustration is not so much the application of effort in the Christian life, or of competing to win the eternal crown, but rather a focused intent - a self-disciplined dedication to the cause of the gospel. A runner, training for a race, aims to win a wreath that soon falls apart, while the believer trains for an incorruptible wreath. At first glance, it seems that Paul is speaking about the prize of eternity, but he is actually referring to the work of the gospel, of the business of gathering the lost into the community that embodies the kin-dom/Kingdom of Jesus.
To return to the “Habits of the Heart” how do we in this faith community reinforce the “Ties that Bind”? One concern I hear from lay leaders and clergy alike is that coming together as a community to take on common goals is increasingly difficult in a society at large that values personal pursuits and private interests over shared values and principled compromises. Many today expect things to go their way and are less apt to go along with a majority opinion they do not share. This makes working together, in diversity of opinion and gifts, very challenging.
Practicing “Habits of the Heart” are akin to Paul’s call for the early church to be disciplined in their consideration of others. The discipline of following the path God has given you and at the same time being considerate of the one struggling beside you seems to me another form of “Habits of the Heart”. I may not be training for a race but I am training my mind and heart to follow God’s covenant and be thoughtful of my sisters and brothers in community.
I had a visit this week with one of our newest additions, Janice Olsen. She shared with me that when she attended the Salvation Army community of faith they celebrated the birthday of Jesus by taking time on the Sunday following Christmas to do something special in Jesus’ name. Janice would have a meal and give thanks for the blessings of her life. At another mealtime on the same day she would take out the ingredients for a meal and read where they came from. She would then name each country in her prayers of thanksgiving and petition. At the third and final mealtime she would take food around to various people she knew and share with them the meal and the story behind it. At the Walk and Talk last Wednesday many shared they strengthen their “Habits of the Heart” by explicitly thanking people for whatever was offered to our community that day. Betty Migel writes letters to governments that imprison persons of conscience through Amnesty International as her “Habit of the Heart”. How do you discipline yourself to be considerate of others in community by exercising “Habits of the Heart”?
It’s worth noting that this struggle will continue, there was no time when everyone did it freely nor will there be a time when it will suddenly become a reality. This takes work. We need to exercise our “Habits of the Heart” every bit as much as we exercise our bodies. Paul understood this. So must we. I so look forward to learning from you more “Habits of the Heart” here at Bethany. Together we can run this race together. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. Amen.