Paul preached a Christianity that invited believers to “share in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:4-11).”  This is a hard sell in our age of commercialism that appeals to our wants and whims.  Do we not prefer the Jesus who makes few demands upon us, makes us feel good and offers eternal rewards comparable to the points you receive on a credit card?

Nevertheless, “sharing in the sufferings of Christ” may mean slowing down and pausing when we hear the cry of someone who has fallen, and when we respond to such a cry we display to the world that we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.  Such sharing brings life, joy, and love to us and others.

We consider ourselves a nation of the upwardly mobile and the one who is able, gifted, ambitious, and has the right connections can be upwardly mobile; yet, we know that not everyone can be upwardly mobile in a social and/or financial sense. Different events and situations can lead to “downward mobility,” and perhaps society overlooks and neglects the downwardly mobile who remind us of the vulnerabilities in our society.  Perhaps you think being a Christian and upwardly mobility go together; yet, the example of Jesus Christ is not one of upward mobility.  It is one of downward mobility (Philippians 2:5-8).  God the Son became human and lived among us, and we crucified him.

God has given each of us freedom, gifts, talents, and positions, and the question for us as Christians is this: What do we do with our freedom, gifts, talents, and position?  Do we use them to secure our own upward mobility or to create a loving, nurturing community (Philippians 2:1-5).  May we use our freedom, gifts, talents, and positions for the common good and building a community that values each and every person because we all are created in the image of God.