The Virtue of Cooperation

Those now identified as Christians originally considered themselves followers of The Way. This makes sense because primitive Christianity was not so much an institution to belong to as a way of life to be practiced. It goes without saying that a literal interpretation of the New Testament is disingenuous because it was never compiled as a factual document. It is what it says it is: a testimony to a phenomenon which turned conventional human understanding on its head. This being said, scripture more than fulfills its purpose when understood as a general portrayal painted with broad strokes. Let me give an example of what I mean. Jesus might have encouraged intramural competition among his followers as a way to identify the best disciple as the last one standing. He might have done this, but there is nothing in the scriptural account to indicate he did. What scripture does point to is the exact opposite: the best disciple is the whole which harmoniously incorporates the many. Such a notion was counter intuitive then just as it is now. I cringed as Sarah Palin exclaimed at yesterday’s Tea Party rally in Boston, “Is this what their ‘change’ is all about? I want to tell ‘em, nah, we’ll keep clinging to our Constitution and our guns and religion—and you can keep the change.” Ms. Palin and her ilk may consider themselves Christians but they are definitely not followers of The Way.