Reflection for September 27

The Presiding Bishop on Individualism and Community

In my opening address at General Convention, I spoke about the "great Western heresy" of individualism…. Individualism (the understanding that the interests and independence of the individual necessarily trump the interests of others as well as principles of interdependence) is basically unbiblical and unchristian.

The spiritual journey, at least in the Judeo-Christian tradition, is about holy living in community. When Jesus was asked to summarize the Torah, he said, "love God and love your neighbor as yourself." That means our task is to be in relationship with God and with our neighbors. If salvation is understood only as "getting right with God" without considering "getting right with (all) our neighbors," then we've got a heresy (an unorthodox belief) on our hands. [From: Salvation's goal: returning all to right relationship, by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, August 27, 2009]