We Have the Meats

Watch on YouTube

My granddaughter Lila was visiting a few years ago, when she was about three years old. We were all talking about what to have for dinner, and out of the blue, in a big booming voice…well, booming for a three-year-old, anyway…she said, “WE HAVE THE MEATS.” That’s the slogan from the Arby’s commercials for which the actor Ving Rhames did the narration. Rhames has this big deep voice, and it was so funny and so cute to hear Lila imitating that voice. We have the meats.

Also, we don’t know for sure what kind of voice Paul had, but some early Christian sources say that Paul was short and bald and had a high-pitched voice that was hard to listen to for very long.[1] So…not like Ving Rhames…and maybe not quite like Lila’s either.

Today’s scripture reminds me of those Arby’s commercials and 3yo Lila imitating them because of what Paul says at the end of today’s passage, “Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never again eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.” So not just food, but specifically meat.

You may have noticed that there are quotes in what we read today. For example, verse 1 says, “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’” Who is Paul quoting? Paul is quoting the people of Corinth, possibly from a letter Paul, or reports he had received. The Corinthians were apparently in conflict about eating meat or food that had been offered to idols. It seems that some were saying that since they know that there is only one God and that idols aren’t real, couldn’t the Corinthian Christians eat whatever they want, regardless of what others thought?

Maybe the Corinthians were even taunting those who wouldn’t eat food sacrificed to idols, kind of like Arby’s did in their open letter to vegetarians:

ATLANTA, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/

Dear Vegetarians;

We respect you. We respect your life decisions. With that in mind, we want it to be abundantly clear that this letter is not meant to sway or convert you. We’re sharing this to offer our support.

Nearly a year ago, we embarked on a journey to tell America about our meats. By now, you’ve likely heard the Arby’s tagline: We Have The Meats®. It’s tough to hear, but it is what it is. We have many meats. And we have quality meats.

It is understandable that you disapprove of our meat-bravado. Your voices have been heard. Letters, emails, voicemails, Tweets and Facebook comments – we hear you. We love our meats, but realize they’re not for everyone.

Then on Sunday, June 28, we launched a meat innovation that has likely tempted you: Brown Sugar Bacon. It’s our pepper bacon, glazed in-restaurant with brown sugar and then cooked to perfection. It may be hard to resist…even for you. Hardcore vegetarians likely won’t budge, but for those of you who are on the fringe or new to the game, avoidance can’t be easy.

We, at Arby’s, have created this temptation. So, we’d like to help. We’re giving you a number to call: 1-855-MEAT-HLP. This is a Vegetarian Support Hotline. [It’s not.] When your nose betrays you and alerts the rest of your senses to find and devour this sweet meat, please call 1-855-MEAT-HLP. You will receive the support you need to resist this gateway meat and get tips on how to avoid temptation. Delicious. Sizzling. Temptation.

Be strong. We’re here for you.

Sincerely,

Arby’s[2]

Apparently public response was mixed.

But Arby’s purpose wasn’t to make people happy. Arby’s corporate office “is always considering new ways to bring in fresh meat [and fresh meat] to keep profits high, which is why it changed its slogan in 2014 to cater to this specific set of customers.”[3]

Paul’s response to the Corinthians is no joke, nor is it about money and profits. It’s about love. (Isn’t it always?) He says at the end of the first verse: “Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.”

What is the loving response? To not eat the food that’s been offered to idols because that would totally disregard the feelings of those who believe in those idols, and tempt them to betray their beliefs.

Actually, Paul goes so far as to say in verse 11, “by your knowledge the weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed.”

Or as the Living Bible puts it, “So because you ‘know it is all right to do it,’ you will be responsible for causing great spiritual damage to a brother with a tender conscience.”

Kind of like making a point of showing your kids that you’re eating the cookies that have been left out for Santa. The kids would be devastated, wouldn’t they? Why would you want to steal their joy?

Or if your friend is doing well with a diet and you try to tempt them to eat something they aren’t supposed to, or even worse, trying to get a recovering addict to take a drink or a smoke or whatever it is they’ve been trying to stop.

I confess that I was the tempter last summer. Our presbytery coordinating team was meeting together over lunch. The person who was paying for lunch had chosen the restaurant because there were good healthy choices on the menu that would work with their diet and they were enjoying their success at staying on track. I, however, was obsessed with the restaurant’s dessert options, and not just for myself, I wanted us all to share the sugary goodness. The dieter asked that we not. So I teased. I called the dieter a sugar nazi. Then I ordered the dessert and made a point of sharing it. Lord, please have mercy on me. I admit I was being selfish.

I confess that I have stolen joy in other ways. One time a friend was excited to share a song that was inspiring her. She played me the song, watching my face to see if I would share in her joy. I did not. I scowled. I said, “Ugh. I really hate Sarah MacLaughlin.” (She was playing a Sarah MacLaughlin song.) At the time I had no idea how rude and insensitive I was being. I see it now, though. Lord, forgive me.

I have enjoyed our practice of getting star words on the Sunday closest to Epiphany, a word to use in seeking God, sort of like the Magi followed a star to follow Jesus. The first year I wondered, “Can we really engage with God over just a single word?” I’ve come to see that God is always standing by waiting for us to turn to him. God can use anything to help us grow, even a single word.

But not everyone finds star words helpful. A few years ago I preached about the Magi and star words at chapel at Sterling College. At the end of the message, we gave everyone a star word. I thought it went really well. But afterwards on the way to my car I saw that some of the star words had been tossed into the trash can. I was disappointed. It’s ok. I know not everything works the same for everyone. I just hope someone who didn’t enjoy the star words idea didn’t ruin it for someone who did.

What about you? How might you have been selfish or insensitive or stolen someone’s joy? When has someone been insensitive to you or stolen your joy?

In today’s scripture Paul is writing to people in Corinth which was wealthy city that had attracted false apostles who took pride “in the splendor and magnificence of their address. . . and [says Calvin] being puffed up with an empty loftiness of speech, they looked upon Paul’s simplicity, and even the Gospel itself, with contempt.”[4] Verse 9 says, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Some scholars say that since the Corinthian culture was so focused on upward mobility, for the Corinthians, someone who was “weak” would be someone in the lower levels of economic and social standing. Paul seems to be speaking to the “strong” to get them to see their sin of disregard for the concerns and needs of those in the lower ranks of society.[5]

Taking pride in upward mobility is exactly what the BBC TV show “Keeping Up Appearances” is all about. Hyacinth “Bouquet” (spelled b-u-c-k-e-t) is always making sure that everyone knows that she and her husband Richard are people of high standing. They’re not, but she’ll never let that show. She wants Richard to smile when he’s outside working in the garden so people will think he’s gardening because he enjoys it, not because they can’t afford one. She saw skis on the car roof of some rich people, so she bought Richard skis for his birthday. Richard has never skied and never will, but Hyacinth wants people to think they are people who ski, so she wants there to be skis on the roof of their car. And Hyacinth is a horrible listener. She’s too busy making sure she mentions her Royal Doulton china and her sister Violet, “the one with the Mercedes, swimming pool, and room for a pony.”

To people like Hyacinth, Paul says, “Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.” (1 Cor. 13:1) We may take pride in our knowledge but with love in humility we can encourage one another and build each other up, which is why I think Paul, and Jesus, would have appreciated the modern popular philosophy of holding space. I heard this phrase for the first time last week and I really like this idea.

According to Heather Plett, a Canadian writer who helped popularize this idea, “holding space” is “being willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on, without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome.”[6] Holding space is pretty much the opposite of how Hyacinth interacts with people, and the opposite of what Paul says in verse 11, “destroying” someone or “causing great spiritual harm.” For example, in a hospital, not everyone who asks to see a chaplain is protestant, or even Christian. The chaplain will only have a short time with the patient, so their purpose is not to try to change the patient’s beliefs while they’re in crisis, but to help them reconnect with the beliefs they already have.

There was a Muslim patient in the ICU whose family that asked if there was a space where they could pray at their appointed prayer times without being disturbed. The hospital chaplain didn’t question this or try to talk them out of it. A room was found that could be available to them throughout the time their family member was in the hospital, and the nurses put a big “do not disturb” sign on the door.

Sometimes it’s not so simple.

I sometimes use the word “deconstruction” to talk about my faith journey. Deconstruction is sort of like cleaning out a room by taking everything out and sorting it into piles to keep or toss or undecided, then only putting back the things that you’ve decided to keep or that give you joy. Some of the beliefs we collect over the years are things we’ve been told and accepted at face value, but upon further research and reflection and prayer, we find are actually getting in the way of our relationship with God, and sometimes we find that there are other ways to understand a particular Bible passage or theological concept. It doesn’t necessarily mean giving up your faith. It actually means making it stronger by being more intentional about your understanding of the foundations of your faith.

Deconstruction is a tough process to go through, and so many people walk away from their faith because they can’t see another way forward. I am definitely not trying to tell people they need to do this, but it’s not unusual to for people to wrestle with their beliefs and with God, so I want people to know that this is a safe space for talking about their doubts and questions, and for finding people who will hold space with them, and walk alongside them in this process. Having that space can make the difference between giving up or growing through it.

When has someone held space for you to ask questions or express your feelings? When have you held space for someone else?

Jesus held space for people who were shunned by the religious establishment of his time. He welcomed Matthew the tax collector, Mary from Magdala who was tormented by a demon, and even washed the feet of Judas the betrayer.

We too can hold space by listening without judgement, sharing someone’s joy instead of stealing it, allowing someone to express their thoughts and feelings and questions rather than having to hide them, welcoming those who might not be welcome in other places, just like God has done for us.

Thanks, God.

[1] https://www.stephenmorrisauthor.com/was-st-paul-a-poor-speaker/

[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/an-open-letter-from-arbys-to-vegetarians-across-america-300109374.html

[4] https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom39/calcom39.vii.html

[5] Boykin Sanders, “1 Corinthians” in True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary, pp. 276ff

[6] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-the-generations/202305/what-does-it-mean-to-hold-space