Popularity

So, if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

I Corinthians 14:23

An astute 12-year-old once dropped a truth bomb on a room full of middle school youth:

Popularity is an invention of the shallow and dull.

The setting was a retreat weekend full of 11 through 14-year-olds. In the middle of a rustic wooden cabin full of bunk beds, tables and benches, and colorful art supplies, this pre-teen nailed what everyone needed to hear. Being popular isn’t a goal, it’s a farce. Trying to be like those perceived to be with the “in” crowd was a futile and ultimately self-defeating. The more you tried to be popular, the more you alienated yourself from everyone else, thus not being popular at all.

By the end of that weekend, the phrase “Popularity is an invention of the shallow and dull” was written on notebook with pencils and scribed on arms with washable marker.

When the apostle Paul was writing the saints in the 14th chapter of I Corinthians, he was trying to tell them something similar. The Corinthians were apparently making a big deal about how their possession of the gift of tongues was a "sign" of their great spirituality. They were a part of the “in” crowd because they had this popular gift.

So, when unbelieving outsiders walked through the door and found the “in” crowd unintelligible to each other and to them, they assumed the room had taken leave of their senses and left as quickly as they could. However, Paul argues, if these same visitors could walk in on a worship of people speaking plainly about God’s truth, those plain words would soften their hearts and speak to their souls.

It's been my experience that bible study groups and youth meetings and Sunday morning adult scripture classes can get a little too exclusive. The “in” crowd of friends who have known each other for years can speak in a language that is off-putting to the non-initiated. The church can have traditions and programs that say “all are welcome” but leave newcomers wondering what’s going on around them.

Paul reminds us that part of our discipline of welcoming is knowing that we were once new to the group too. When we say words like “narthex” and “Pauline letters” and “discipleship” to someone who just walked in the door, we might be speaking in tongues to a newcomer. We’re in danger of delineating the “in” crowd from the outsider.

Let us pray, from A Prayer for Every A.A. Member

God, I ask for the grace to listen to newcomers. Please help me to remember the patience with which others listened to me when I was new. Please seal my lips to giving advice, and help me to remember to share my experience, strength, and hope. Remind me that my purpose is to fit myself to be of maximum service to You and the people around me. Amen.