Never in the history of the universe has there been such a clash between individualism and collectivism as is witnessed today. Whether in politics, religion, economics, civics, medicine, journalism, or education, the debate is ongoing about the virtues of both values and assumptions. One thing we know for certain, our world was designed to be an amalgam of units, interconnected with each other, and dependent on a harmonious relationship, one with the other.

Each value is inherently good for our society, but each has the potential to sow chronic discord into the psyche of a people and nation. The individualist option can be seen at work in countries and economies, mobilizing individuals to seek personal excellence and to optimize their potential by harnessing their capacity to contribute to productivity and profitability. On the other hand, we have ample evidence of companies and countries, which have marshaled its subjects to a fidelity to a collective vision of the organization.

The Power of One sermon series is an attempt to bring both sides together. We are two ships passing each other in the night, never communicating with each other. I am inviting you to a conversation. I wanted to be sure that the title does not mislead the reader into believing that the one sure way to contribute meaningfully to society is to be a lone ranger. The series covers a wide range of themes, from both an individualist and a collectivistic posture.

Hopefully, the Power of One might also be understood and appreciated in other dimensions. The prophet Ezekiel experienced such a conundrum and decided to do something about it. This is what the Hebrew texts tell us, “Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.” -- Ezekiel 3:15

These sermons will have you sitting where others sit. There's an old Indian proverb that states, "Help me not to judge another man until I've walked a mile in his moccasins." No person is completely detached from others. We may not view ourselves as our brothers' keepers, but we certainly have to admit that we are our brothers' brothers.

When Ezekiel came upon a settlement of captives, he sat down with them in a sacramental silence for a period of seven days. In this topsy-turvy world, filled with chaos and confusion, it's hard to get people to sit down and to do anything without a lot of cajoling and fanfare. Many won’t even consider an offer to sit and listen to another’s sorrows, let alone help in any way, unless there is something in it for them…usually publicity. Yeah, we want to be SEEN when we take time out of our own preciously busy lives to listen to the travails of another. We aren’t really concerned about those whom God calls "the least of these.” We often see them as just another opportunity for us to be recognized as philanthropic or big-hearted.

But if we really want to acquaint ourselves with the circumstance and the needs of others, we must be willing to sit where they sit. And it was in that spirit that Ezekiel was led to sit with those captives and to share vicariously in their suffering and their pain. By sitting with them, Ezekiel demonstrated that he was willing to put himself in their position…to walk a mile in their shoes. He let them know that he genuinely wanted to listen to what they had to say.

Much is learned when we take the time to understand another person’s sorrow and pain. When Ezekiel sat down to listen, he was overwhelmed with the needs and misery of those around him. But he did not preach to them…he did not lecture to them. He sat in the midst of them and actually felt their agony and their pain. He began to see through their eyes, bleed through their wounds, and weep through their tears. He sat with them for seven days…and the scripture account says that he was astonished, and when he left them after seven days, the Lord called him into prophetic service as a prophet of God.

So then, it all comes down to this: Our mission - yours and mine - is not only to sit where others sit, but also to get up and do something about it. Our mission is never complete, as long as there are others who have hurts and needs. We need a genuine Christlike love that will motivate us to minister to those who are in need. We need to be concerned about the least, the last, and the lost. Jesus said it, didn't he? Jesus said the least shall become the greatest, the last shall become first, and the lost one day shall be found.

We sing a song that says, “Sign me up for the Christian jubilee, write my name on the roll…” But what have we signed up for? We have signed up to finish the job that Jesus started…the struggle for the children, the poor, the downtrodden, the disinherited, and the dispossessed.

Ezekiel and Jesus were ghetto dwellers. They chose to live among those in need. They bore their burdens in the heat of the day. If we take the attitude and the spirit that Jesus and Ezekiel had, we will willingly sit where others sit.

Two little girls walked down the street and saw a church that seemed dark, a church with dark stained glass windows and no light. As they looked at the large gothic building, they said to themselves, "What an ugly church this is!" An old woman on the steps of the church heard the two young girls talking, and she invited them to come in. As they walked into the church, she said, "You know, the church does seem dark and dismal on the outside. But that’s because you have to come inside to see the light!”

I invite you to explore the Power of One sermon series, and sit where others sit!

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