THE ANSWER

A couple of weeks ago I spotted a sign on an Assembly of God bulletin board. It was the title to the upcoming Sunday's Sermon. It read: "The Answer to Man's Problem." Given my honestly prejudicial view of AoG churches, I immediately assumed that "man" was the specifically chosen word. It was not generic, certainly not politically correct. The preacher meant man, of the male gender; otherwise he would have said "humanity's" problem.

Well, being a male, I already knew what our problem is: women. So I really would have liked to have been able to stop in that Sunday to hear what the man said, but I had to be occupied somewhere else.  I mean, if someone in one short, or even long, sermon can tell me how to solve the riddle of women, I would be eternally grateful.

Now to extricate myself from the mess I am in: the preacher probably meant "humanity," and simply was not into PC language. Besides, no one has ever solved the riddle. It started with Adam and has been going on ever since.

Humanity's, mankind's, men's, women's problem – the one I think the preacher was probably intending to address – also began at the beginning, with Adam and Eve, or whoever those first people were. The problem is the reason why I might have assumed that the preacher was speaking to only men. That is the problem of our self-centeredness. We're selfish. We came out of the womb selfish. Our first thoughts were of getting something to eat.

And it has not changed all that much since then. Our first thoughts, whether recognized or not, admitted or not, cognizant or not, are centered on Number One – and maybe even our second and third thoughts as well. Then, we begin to think of the other person. But our first thoughts center around how whatever we are thinking about is going to affect us.

We see someone in need, our child is crying, a job has to be done: how will this affect me, my time, my life, etc.? That is our first thought. The person in need, the job to be done: that is secondary to me. And it will always be because it is the self - I - who will have to respond. Humanity's problem is humanity itself. WE are our own worst enemy.

And what is the answer to our selfishness, our self-centeredness, our innate inclination to always put ourselves first? There is none. That inclination will never go away. Even Jesus was not immune. When in the Garden, getting ready for his crucifixion and death, his first thoughts were on himself: letting "the cup" pass him by. But his second thought was God the Father's will for him. Then he did what he had to do.

And so it is with us. Our first thoughts will always center on ourselves. But the more we become like Our Lord, the more our second – second, not third or fourth – thoughts will be on the other person, on what God would have us do in this situation, and, hopefully, on what we would truly have us do. That will never be easy. Jesus sweat blood. So might we. But with God's grace we can do it.