St. Paul is walking on a two-edged sword in this weekend's reading. We need to be right there with him. What are the two edges? Trying to put it tightly: 1) we are spiritual beings and this world doesn't matter, and 2) our mission is to make this world into a world of peace for the King of Peace. Now, I know there are a lot of other extremes, but these two have been rejected, even condemned, by the Church. Yet St. Paul walks the balance perfectly for us. Let's look at them.
I admit, I do not remember the name of the heresy mentioned as 1) above, but it created (and still creates) problems in one way or another today. It is true we are spiritual beings, but we are also physical beings, making us unique in all the earth. Our eternal soul, united with our bodies, makes us unique. Flesh and spirit united. (This is another topic better covered by John Paul II, especially in his Theology of the Body.)That is what St. Paul is trying to convey for us. We cannot ignore our flesh, as some would do, and say this world does not matter. We are commissioned by God to make this world better and more holy. Some would opt out of that, saying this world does not matter. I think that is one of the reasons there is so much apathy when it comes to election times: this world is passing away, so why should we even care? It has other effects: ignoring the poor, or the right use of our environment, and others too numerous for here.
The other example in 2) above showed its extreme in liberation theology, and all the false twists made there. Yet there is some truth for us to hold onto from this side as well. We are called to be stewards of the earth. We are called to care for the poor, the dying, etc. That part is necessary as children of God. But the extremes cause problems. Our hope is not in this world "“ never has been "“ never can be.
St. Paul is trying to tell us that we live for Christ: simple statement, but with profound consequences. We are flesh & blood, and soul. Further, God has a new flesh waiting for us at the resurrection. What that will be, we do not know. And we are not "in debt" to the flesh of this world, as verse 12 points out, that we should be overly concerned with this world. If we are too concerned with this world, when it does end for us where will our hope reside? And if we are too concerned about the condition of our soul that we ignore the world around us… what will happen to the mission of the Church to the world?
We need to reside on that sword's edge "“ as hard as that is. We are body and soul. I think St. Paul's warning is that we are not to rely on either too much, but keep our eyes turned toward that new body in union with Christ, forever.
