Weakness

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.- 1 Corinthians 1:25

I went to a small parochial high school. My graduating class had twenty-four students, four of those students were foreign exchange students who arrived for one year. The class behind us had four or five students in all. It was naturally the sort of school where everyone knew everyone else. But even though our classes were so small, and even though pretty much everyone had to play a sport for us to have a sports program, and even though so many people were involved in theater to have a theater program, we still had the nerds, jocks, theater kids, and popular kids, like any other school. Just because we were small didn’t mean there weren’t students who didn’t get invited to the campfires, or didn’t find a date to prom.

Andy Warhol famously said that in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. But as much as our celebrities have grown more demographically representative, and as much as social media has given more people opportunities at fame, not everyone can be famous. Much like not everyone can be the popular kid in high school. Not everyone can be good looking. Not everyone can be cool. Fame, looks, popularity, all depend on there being people who are not famous, not good looking, or unpopular. We all desire glory in some way. But not everyone can be glorious.

If salvation were based on our merits, it would only be available to some. But salvation is based on grace, and is available for all. Salvation is not for the glorious, the famous, the strong, the cool. But salvation is for the sick, the outcast, and the weak. We may not always be strong or famous. But everyone at some point finds themselves sick, outcast, and weak. That’s one amazing thing about God giving grace to the humble, and perfecting us in our weaknesses. We are all weak. But in God’s economy the weak are strong.