You Wanna Bet?

As Americans we are encouraged to be the best that we can be. But to what end? The name of the game is competition which literally means to strive to outdo another. Competition is to determine winners and losers, to distinguish the superior from the inferior. Competition is the evolutionary mechanism for survival of the fittest. Competition is in our genes (along with many other animalistic traits). Cooperation is just the opposite. Cooperation consists of working together for a common purpose, the dreaded win-win situation so incomprehensible to competitors. When I was studying the behavioral sciences it was posited that humans replaced instinct with reason. If there’s any truth to such a notion, in my mind it raises the question of whether or not competition is truly human, or whether the hallmark of humanity is cooperation. As a tired old former pastor, I don’t find an ounce of competition in the gospel that has been transmitted to us. I can only imagine that is the reason that most Americans have had to devise a new, competitive interpretation of Christianity (it’s not just us; it dates as far back as Constantine’s interpretation of his vision of the cross as a sign that he would be victorious in battle). I guess this will need to be my next addendum to Paul’s words on love: love is not competitive.