Lesson 4: Self-Denial

Remember when I announced I was going to do something on church and society, Lupe and Myron offered some examples that have to be addressed. Lupe pointed to the death of hundreds of people in Pakistan who died of thirst during the Ramadan fast. Myron sent a New York Times article about India’s prime minister refusing to put eggs on the government diet for malnourished children for fear the kids would be taking life if the eggs were fertilized. Of course, we can, also, offer examples from Christianity ranging from self-flagellation to not eating red meat on Fridays. Lupe felt this kind of “renunciation” is worth considering, because people associate it with Christian discipline. Lupe’s word choice jumped out at me. “Self-denial” long ago replaced “renunciation” in my Protestant vocabulary. Our branch of the Church has long regarded renunciation as meaningless. We thought of it as punishing the body in order to purify the soul, a form of works righteousness. We smiled when our Roman Catholic friends insisted it was really a form of discipline that helped them focus on their faith. We thought of self-denial as giving up something for the common good. You did not buy something for yourself, so you could give that money to someone else. However, even that kind of self-denial is very controversial in contemporary society. During my ministry, I received more adverse comments to sermons dealing with self-denial than with any other theme. Usually, they spoke of it as being out of touch and old-fashioned. In our post modern society, there is no concept of a common good. Charity like every other act must bring a benefit to the giver. This attitude is reflected in much contemporary spirituality being defined as wellness. You contemplate, because it promotes awareness; you give thanks, because it is healthy; you walk in the woods, because it helps you relate to the creation; you give, because you will get something back in return. There is something to be said for this. It certainly corrects the negative features of some forms of “renunciation.” Nonetheless, self-denial is basic to Christian faith. In his encyclical Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis insists faith is a light illuminating the way for both the individual and society. It always draws us out of ourselves and into community. That means a Christian always is called to share with others in pursuit of the common good. When Jesus claims we have to lose ourselves in order to find ourselves, he means we find ourselves in the Beloved Community in which everyone cares for one another. Paul describes love as not insisting on your own way and returning good for evil. It always involves some form of self-denial in which people give of themselves, so that all might have enough. My experience is that many people appreciate this message. While it is true my sermons on self-denial received a lot of opposition, they also brought some of the most positive responses I received. That support was evident when more people talked about appreciating “living below your economic peers” than any other item in the Company at Kirkridge lifestyle. Of course, if most people in our society do not acknowledge any common good, the Christian voice in social affairs will always involve a prophetic element, a point John makes constantly. Repentance, defined as rethinking, is inherent in any attempt to transform our world or ourselves.