Presented by Rev. Jesse Larson June 21, 2020
Based on 1 Corinthians 12:4-13
Some of you might be familiar with a more recent personality test called “True Colors.” Through your responses to various questions and pictures that are attractive to you, you determine your color. There are four colors—Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange—which represent your dominant personality traits. Now do note that we are rarely solidly one color. We usually have at least a couple of these four colors as a part of our unique personality. That being said, we lean more strongly toward one color than the others. For example, I’m a strong blue. Blues are often sensitive, caring, spiritual, empathetic, personable, and peaceful. We are nurturing and love to talk. Yes, we are very touchy feely and often drawn to the helping professions. Think Oprah or Mr. Rogers.
On the other hand, yellows are sensible, practical, organized, thorough, punctual, dependable, conservative, and predictable. They stick to detailed tasks and see them through. They are highly responsible and well-organized. Yellows follow rules and procedures and respect for regulations and authority. Yellows are not comfortable in unstructured situations. Because I am so informal and much more content to let the Spirit move in the ways it will, I can drive yellows crazy by not always paying attention to details. Famous yellows include Henry Ford, Connie Chung and Margaret Thatcher.
Many of us are either predominantly blue or yellow, but we still have some greens and oranges. Greens are complex and curious, independent, intellectual, research-oriented, inventive, logical, calm, and cool. They are non-conformists who like to explore new ways of doing things. Their independence can be perceived as being impersonal. They do not like to talk about feelings, and their head is in charge of their heart. They love work when it is stimulating and can be workaholics. Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg and Albert Einstein are all greens.
Oranges are spontaneous, enthusiastic, generous, charming, fun-loving, and even wild. They have lots of energy and love trying new things. They are usually talented and love performing in front of others. They grow easily bored, especially with routine and structure. They need freedom, and have a hard time following rules or respecting authority. They learn by experience and love to engage extravagant or off-the-wall things. They love excitement and exploration; life is one big party and they want to enjoy it! I’ve got some orange in me, too! JFK and Amelia Earhart are two famous oranges.
I enjoy these personality tests because, well, I’m a blue, and we love talking about feelings, but also because they demonstrate that we truly are diverse beings, even if we members of the same ethnic group, class, or gender. We see the world through very different lenses and our worlds are ordered in diverse ways. These personality tests highlight our strengths—the gifts that we bring to the table.
The apostle Paul, just like Jesus, focused on our gifts rather than our weaknesses. The so-called “dregs of society”—tax collectors, prostitutes, and lepers—were Jesus’ friends! He saw good in everyone—the divinity in all people, as we are all children of God.
Jesus and Paul knew that our focus should be on what makes us special and how we can share our gifts with a world that needs them. Last week’s text from Ephesians declares that God gifted some of us to be apostles, others as prophets, some as evangelists, and still others as pastors and teachers. And Paul argues the same point in today’s text as well—some work in miracles, others in prophecy, and some have a gift for languages. All are valuable and it is the same Spirit that gives us these gifts.
The truth is that most of us are painfully aware of our shortcomings. All of our personalities have drawbacks. None of us is perfect and we’ll always have growing edges to work on. Imagine what it would be like if we refrained from critiquing and judging one another, and instead accepted each other and a child of God. Could you imagine our strength if we were given compliments and encouragement each day?!
Do our personality differences frustrate each other sometimes? Sure. The same is true for cultural differences. Too often our instinct is to stick to our own kind because that is easiest. But growth and unity cannot happen in a bubble. And besides, it gets boring.
The more we understand about one another, the more we value one another’s gifts and perspectives, and the more grace we give one another for one another’s shortcomings, the better we all are. If we afford one another grace and trust, imagine the gifts that could be shared to solve our many problems. The sky would be the limit!
Paul’s letters, like so many letters of the New Testament, are dedicated to building unity in the church. And it seems that we still have a long way to go towards this goal. Our tribalism, racism, and ethnocentricity seem to be issues we’ll always need to wrangle with. The ongoing protests in our streets are introducing a host of new ideas concerning how we might overcome the racism that infects so much of life in America.
Jesus and later Paul saw the good in each of us—as gifted people made in God’s image—who could build heaven here on Earth. The key, which they persistently preached, is for us to reorient ourselves toward the spirit of love and grace. When we gift one another with love and grace, our differences begin to dwindle and our gifts begin to shine. If we are willing to walk a mile in another’s shoes and focus on be willing to see new perspectives, life seems less negative and threatening. Never forget that we, Christians, are eternal optimists!
Building unity begins by focusing on the positive rather than the negative. It must be about love!
Jesus was all about shattering walls and welcoming all people to the table. Paul keeps reinforcing the idea that there is one body and one spirit … that we are united in our work and in the spirit of Christ. He writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Paul is always good at prioritizing what is truly important.
This incredible Spirit is running through us all, through the universe, through everything that keeps us united, despite our varying gifts, calling, cultures, experiences. May we all hold on to these words tightly as we work our way through difficult conversations, heal, and work to build a more just nation and world for all.
May we keep the dream of unity alive.
And may we trust that the Spirit of love is blowing through all of us and this world making all things good and more than enough. Amen!
