So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
The Epistle reading for this coming Sunday, 11 August, can be subtitled “Rules for the new life.” This is advice not for isolated individuals but for people who are part of a community – who are “members of one another.” It’s for those whose lives have been changed by an encounter with the good news about Jesus, and so it sets out habits that need to be abandoned (e.g. stealing, slander) and practices that should be taken up (sharing with the needy, forgiving). It’s a radical new way of living, motivated by the theological vision that lies behind it all: living in love, because of how Christ loved them. That’s what accounts for the seemingly crazy idea of imitating God (“as if we could,” I hear us all thinking) – but the call to imitation is founded on what Christ has done for us. He’s both an example for us to follow and the path which makes it possible for us to reach our journey’s end. In Augustine’s lovely phrase, Christ’s mediation is “the stretching out of a hand to those who lay fallen,” as he raises us up and sets us back on the path towards life.
But not everyone has embarked on this radical new life of service to God. Does this passage have anything to say to those who haven’t got to that point? After all, apart from the underlying theological motivation, there’s little that’s specifically Christian about many of the vices and virtues described in this extract from Ephesians. What stands out, though, is that these are the behaviours that can make or break a community. Laying aside false or misleading communication one with another, and instead speaking truth, is a good way to act; so too is acknowledging that anger can sometimes be justified, while refusing to let it fester into bitterness and malice. Resisting the impulse to indulge in “evil talk” (criticism, sarcasm, and talking behind others’ backs come to mind), and choosing instead speech that “builds up” community members – these are practices that make for good families, workplaces, and sports clubs – wherever people gather and do life together. How do our communities compare?
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