Spiraling Mistrust

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

When the apostle Paul wrote this, his first letter to the Corinthian church, he was addressing the citizens of a powerful city of the Roman Empire. Corinth was a wealthy commerce center in Greece, and it was full of cultured and educated people who were stressed by politics and economic challenges. Sound familiar? The adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” seems appropriate here, does it not?

Add to this stress, many of these women and men were feeling a spiritual emptiness and Paul was worried that they were sinking into a spiritual freefall of spiraling mistrust…a mistrust of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When people are highly stressed and have a deep need for understanding, they are vulnerable…and these people, who Paul refers to as beloved, were vulnerable. And, just like those to whom Paul was writing, many faithful Christians today are vulnerable.

Paul wrote this letter to remind the stressed and exhausted citizens of Corinth of the power of Jesus to fill the empty places in their lives with new and unexpected life. He was offering them the truth. He offers us the truth. Paul reminds them, and us, of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, which he had previously shared with them. He wants them, and us, to “hold firmly” to this message, and to not be distracted. Paul wants then, and us, to know that the story of Jesus is truth and connected to something much bigger. Paul wants them, and us, not to give into a spiraling mistrust … to remember that forgiveness and new life fits what God has been doing all through history.

Paul was aware that people fall for all kinds of schemes and conspiracies when they feel unattached and ostracized, so he describes just how connected they really are. He writes that Jesus “appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve…and then to more than 500 sisters and brothers.” The resurrection of Jesus is not some made up internet meme or posted performance video, but a real historic event, witnessed by a long list of people, including Paul. He even proposes they check it out for themselves and go talk to those who are still alive.

We need to hear this message today, because we are very much like the people of Corinth. Many of us are feeling stressed and spiritually empty, and we are losing our social attachments. Today, according to a recent study, “more than one-third of adults 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated.” Loss of social attachments can cause us to spiral into mistrust, even of that which we have always believed to be true. We need a message we can trust, and fortunately Paul is speaking to us today. In a world of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, this is a trustworthy story. It leads us to life, not death. It is based on Scripture, not on internet speculation. It is grounded in the eyewitness accounts of a reliable community of Christians. And it comes from the grace of God, the one who loves us and wants us to trust and experience forgiveness and new life.

Rev. Dr. Debi Powell-Maxwell

2/9/2025