This Sunday the Western Church will celebrate the feast of Pentecost, the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon the Church. St. Paul, writing to the church of Corinth, says “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord‘ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12.3b; NRSV).
He further writes there are various spiritual gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues) all of which come from the Holy Spirit. Concerning these gifts, Paul writes, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (vs. 7).
In contrast, Paul says, “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5.19-21; NRSV). The works of the flesh arise from our egoistic impulses and desires; they serve our self-interest rather than the common good.
The tension between self-interest and the interest of the common good is perennial. We currently see this tension in the culture wars taking place in our own, and other countries. How do we, how can we, promote the common good?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some contend the common good is promoted by an emphasis on individual rights and freedoms while others contend the common good is secured by practicing precautions (shut downs, social-distancing, hand-washing, sanitizing, and wearing facemasks). Both argue they are acting for the common good. Are there any criteria by which one may appropriately assess the merits of such positions?
It strikes me that St. Paul provides us with such criteria when he continues in Galatians, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5.22-23; NRSV). Will I choose to serve my own interests, my neighbor’s interests, or work toward achieving our mutual interests? How can I best show my love of my neighbor and demonstrate the other fruits of the Spirit? Though I recognize others may disagree, I believe I can best promote the common good by practicing precautions as loving action. I choose to wear a mask for our mutual interests. Whatever our position, I hope all of us can agree that we need more discussion concerning the nature of the common good and how we can best promote the common good. COVID-19 may force us to consider what is truly important – our lives may depend upon it.
