We Versus I

This is the second post under the heading “Living in Extremes.” The opening post can be found by clicking HERE. The following post highlights the tension in Scripture between “we” and “I.” The focus on “we” flows from a collectivist culture. The focus on “I” flows from an individualistic culture. Here is a quote to summarize each culture. “Individualist culture places the individual at the center, values individual rights and freedom, opportunity and individual success. Collectivist culture sees instead the individual as embedded in a community (tribe, clan), emphasizes conformity, adaptation and harmony.” ~Deep Historical Roots

According to Hofstede Insights, the USA ranks the highest in “individualism” in our world. So even before I can discuss the dichotomy in the Bible, I need to begin by saying that we in the USA come from a natural bias toward individualism. We are far more prone to interpret Scripture as being directed to me as an individual instead of being directed to us as a group. Also, I should mention that God providentially ordained that His living and active Word would be written inside a collectivist culture. Let us turn to a few Scriptures.

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers . . . “
~ Leviticus 26:40a
“The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
~ Ezekiel 18:20b
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. . . Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven . . . “
~ Matthew 6:6a, 9
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
~I Corinthians 12:27

The amount of examples on the tension between individualism and collectivism is endless! The Bible emphasizes both as important for God’s people to grasp. The verses in Leviticus and I Corinthians, shatter the idea that we can be “lone ranger” Christians. Our actions impact the Body of Christ even if we think we are acting privately. Since our culture is individualistic by nature, that mindset can easily filter into our church culture.

For example, I have heard it said: “I can follow Jesus by myself; I do not need to confess my sins to anyone else; I experience God the most in private away from people; My walk with Jesus is no one else’s business; God has a wonderful plan for my life (by this meaning: God has a wonderful career, spouse, and comfortable life planned for me). God has a purpose for my life (by this meaning: God has a purpose that will fill my dreams and make me happy).”

This is taking the individualistic side of the Scriptures to an extreme and neglects the collectivist side of the Scriptures. I Corinthians is saying, you cannot have the Head of the Body (which is Christ) without the rest of the Body (other Christians). You have to have both! God has designed us to need each other. Only He gets to be self-sufficient. In God’s Kingdom, we are to grow in interdependence on His Body. Therefore, my walk with God is other people’s business because what I do with my life impacts the Body. Leviticus tells us to actually confess the sins of others, even in past generations. Prayers by people like Nehemiah and Daniel show that Israel took this command seriously.

Also, an Americanized wonderful plan and individual purpose is taken out of context. The wonderful plan in Jeremiah 29:11 was not given to a person, but to a people group as a whole. Furthermore, this promise in particular would not be experienced by every single person because some would live and die in Babylon before the promise’s fruition. Then there’s purpose. Of course we all have purpose, but do we grasp that there are purposes and callings we all share? Why would God unlock some mystery plan for me individually if I have little concern for His revealed purpose in Scripture?

Of course, we cannot swing the pendulum and get caught in an extreme of collectivism. Ezekiel says that we are individually responsible for our actions, righteous or wicked. Jesus tells us to pray where no one can see us. (though we also pray together, implied by the plural pronouns “our/us”). Jesus emphasizes that we do acts like prayer and giving in secret to guard our hearts against pride. Our hearts love affirmation from others, but God says our desire should be for His affirmation.

Also, even as Paul is discussing our need for interdependence on the Body, he says we are individually members of it. We do not loose our uniqueness just because we are part of the Body. God has gifted us differently, made us differently, given us different backgrounds, experiences, etc. which all contribute to who we are as an individual. There is no one else exactly like me or you on this planet. Even our fingerprints are unique! It is the very fact that we are individually unique that makes the Body of Christ so beautifully designed. Only the Creator God could care about the smallest detail of each of our lives, meanwhile, weaving together a tapestry to display His might and glory!

Here is a good exercise: When reading the Bible and the word “you” is written, first think, “How does this apply to a collective group (whether that was Israel, the Body of Christ, etc)?” In other words, interpret it as “you” [plural]. THEN, “Does this have implications for me individually as well? If so, how?” In other words, “you” [singular].

Again, it is not that either “I” or “we” is better than the other. We need to take grasp of both. When we find ourselves operating in an extreme, we simply re-calibrate by keeping grasp on the one, while taking hold of the other side.