koinonia or outrage
give it a listen
It has become commonplace to lament how divided we are as a nation. That would include our political system and our mass media. We are pitted against each other. We are told what to think, with our interests narrowed and false dualities created. It is either-or. We are subjected to a machine of manufactured outrage. There’s no room for nuance; critical thinking is dismissed. The weapons of censorship and shaming can be, and are, trotted out.
We might believe we are too aware or sure of ourselves to fall for such manipulation, but we would be wise to check our presuppositions, our biases. We all have them.
Someone can say or do something that is okay when “our” guy or gal does it, but when “their” guy or gal says or does the exact same thing, it is considered wrong. We see that time and again in the political sphere. I confess to falling into the same trap. Oddly enough, especially during these past couple of years, I have found myself agreeing with those with whom I thought I had little in common.
Koinonia. That is a Greek word which appears several times in the New Testament. It’s often translated as “communion” or “fellowship.” The word literally means “partnership.” It has to do with “sharing.” I’ll try to avoid doing a Bible study (!), but koinonia has a message for all of us. One need not be a Christian or identify with any faith tradition. I would be so bold as to say any human being needs to heed the concept and teaching of koinonia.
Koinonia involves dialogue. There are a number of models, but a useful one was developed by Leonard Swidler, who has taught at Temple University for decades. A sample of principles include: be willing to listen and learn from the other. Be willing to criticize one’s own point of view. Be willing to experience the other’s viewpoint “from within,” if even for a short time. (You know — walk in the other’s shoes!) Be humble.
You won’t learn that from the big news outlets. And then there’s big tech! And unfortunately, speaking as a minister, the church too rarely encourages the honest and uncomfortable questioning modeled by Jesus and the Hebrew prophets. Daring to ask those questions might get you labeled a purveyor of misinformation.
That is the gift and challenge of koinonia. It is bound up with love. In his celebrated hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13, St. Paul tells us, “Love endures all things.” Love remains. Love waits. Love doesn’t flee. Love doesn’t hit the road, Jack. Love perseveres. Love stands alongside.
Koinonia is stubborn. Like anything worth having, you have to work at it. You have to fight for it. Koinonia as communion in fellowship, partnership in sharing, carries with it unknown discoveries that we all are treasures to be received with gratitude.
I wonder, how can we cultivate koinonia here in our community? At arts festivals? At city council meetings? At school board meetings? In the grocery store? Passing each other on the sidewalk? With our neighbor? (That can be a tough one!)
Let me mention something from the Sufi tradition. It regards the words we allow to proceed from our mouths. Before speaking, we should let our words pass through three gates. Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Jesus warns about speaking words that are idle, words that are empty.
By definition, koinonia involves the group, the many. Still, it begins with each of us, the one. We can make our community one where we encourage listening, learning, and loving.
