Christian faithfulness confounds the “wisdom of the world” in so many ways.

Love your enemy.
The first shall be last.
The last shall be first.
Humility beats hubris.
Servanthood trumps power and prestige.

In this week’s gospel text Paul once again reminds his audience that “imitation” is a good thing. While the world teaches us that anything that is an “imitation” is a second-class, knock-off of little value, that “imitation” is a mark of inferiority, Paul regards “imitation” as the ultimate sign of genuine faithfulness. The apostle urges believers to imitate Christ and to imitate the Christ-like behavior they see exhibited by others in the Christian community. While the world cringes at being labeled or called an “imitator,” for Paul it is a life long goal.

The world says imitation is…