Mine, Mine Mine

We are a funny people. I am confident we amuse God a great deal. I think he chuckles a lot over us and our little kingdoms. I wish I were God, I would like to have the chance to be amused too. But I am not often amused when I wander into territorial disputes. I am often peeved and wish to smack heads together. I feel confident I inspire the same emotional response in the people around me. Mine Mine Mine. We say it better as adults, but it's the same line from toddler hood.

A few days ago a friend was at the church taking care of some business, her granddaughter happily playing in the nursery. It was time to go, but the granddaughter wasn't finished playing. Grandma tried everything, granddaughter fought back, finally granddaughter grabbed the stroller with the coveted baby and ran yelling over her shoulder, MINE!. It was so funny, mostly because it wasn't my child, that she, when left with no other weapon in her arsenal, claimed possession. I do that too! When in doubt and I can't make headway in getting what I want, I claim ownership. I am just like those silly seagulls in Finding Nemo. Mine Mine Mine.


While I understand it to be inappropriate in me, I find it infuriating in others. I am confident this is the speck in your brother's eye, log in my own kind of thing, but that doesn't seem to change my attitude much. I expect this is because I wish I was in charge and I could get people to behave. They they would all see there really is no such thing as Mine Mine Mine. It's all God's: the gifts, the talents, the resources, the stuff, even the church. Especially the church. Yet there we are like a bunch of seagulls yelling Mine Mine Mine.

Why do we behave this way? Which one of us really has the right to claim ownership of anything, church included? The pastors? I think not. I get that there is education and experience that helps mold them for ministry, but the church remains the bride of Christ. At best the clergy are the hired stewards, sent to take care of the flock until the Head Shepherd return. The laity? Nope. Certainly there is some sense of belonging in community, but belonging and ownership are not the same thing. We are a part but we are not the whole and we cannot begin to see the entire puzzle based on our picture. The conference, distinct, parish, diocese, whatever we call the organization our denomination claims? Absolutely not. That level of supervision and guidance are great for coordinating efforts to accomplish what individual church cannot do on it's own. But it also creates bureaucracy which has little connection and receives very little input from the churches that make up it's network. We are all yelling Mine Mine Mine, but it's really His His His.


I cant help but wonder what if I lived that way. What if I lived each day like I knew I have been given, for a short time, direction of all the gifts and talents and assets I have. What would I do differently. What if at the end of the day I raised my hands up over all my stuff and yelled Your, Yours, Yours. I think I shall try this. I might get arrested for disturbing the peace of course, but it could start a trend. Remember "I am as mad as hell and I am not going to take it any more"? You will have to agree this is certainly more upbeat,less words to remember and who knows, might actually change a heart or two.

Mine Mine Mine. Yours, Yours, Yours. Works for me. Only don't mess with my stuff.