Many years ago, Charles Darwin championed the idea of “the survival of the fittest,” to explain the changes he observed in the animal kingdom. The central idea was based on a competitive model of nature & even human life. The idea gained popularity in science and in the public mind. Along the way, another model of survival & change was based on a cooperative model. Symbiotic relations & social cooperation were proposed as an alternative way to think about survival. Organisms develop cooperative relations, & so, survive more effectively. I’m not sure which is the most accurate theory; perhaps each has its place. Our bodies work because all the parts work in harmony. When the body attacks itself, disaster follows. Lack of cooperation in a team sport seems a sure path to defeat, but a lack of competitiveness also leads to failure. In our larger world, cooperation seems to occur far too seldom. For every advancement prompted by competition, there are other advancements that are the result of cooperation. Perhaps a mixed system that uses both competition & cooperation could prove most effective. How about churches – can we see ourselves as in competition with each other in helpful ways so that different needs and desires can be met in our varied world, and/or can we find ways to cooperate with each other, that the needs of a difficult world can be better met? What good things might we do apart & what good things might we do together, to glorify our creator? To God be the glory, now & always!